Recipes

From Henrietta Green's New Country Kitchen, which works well with either any freshly-picked mushrooms you might come across or good cultivated varieties.

Serves 4

    350g (12oz) fresh ceps sliced, or 325g (11oz) fresh button mushrooms, sliced, plus 30g (1oz) dried ceps
    1.5L (2 ½ pints) chicken stock
    3 tbsp olive oil
    55g (2oz) butter
    1 onion, finely chopped
    350g (12oz) Arborio or risotto rice
    55g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

If you are using dried ceps, put them to soak in a small bowl of water for 15 minutes. Then drain them, reserving the liquid, and chop them. Put the stock to boil, strain and add the mushroom soaking water.

Heat the oil and half the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onion until it begins to colour. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. If using the dried ceps, add to the pan and cook for a further minute. Stir in the rice and sauté for a minute or two, stirring continuously, until thoroughly coated with the oil and butter.

Add a ladleful of stock to the rice and as it absorbs the liquid, add another. Carry n stirring and adding the stock until the rice is cooked ‘al dente': it will take about 20 minutes and probably use up all the stock.
Remove from the heat, season and stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan. Serve immediately.