Hedgehog Fungus Risotto

So I hope you’ve had a good read of my previous post on the dangers of mushroom picking now it’s on to the best part, the eating!

Whilst out with Archie yesterday I came across a sizable patch of Hedgehog Fungus, immediately recognising the spiny underside of the mushroom and having tried a few before I decided it was time to rustle up a tasty mushroom risotto. I gathered as many of the smaller ones as I could as the larger they are the more bitter they can taste and set off back home to get cooking.

Archie overseeing the mushroom collecti on .

Hedgehog Wild Mushroom Risotto.

Serves 2

A few knobs of butter

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 small hand full of dried Porcini, soaked in a little boiling water

1 small hand full of dried Horn of plenty, soaked in a little boiling water

300g Hedgehog Fungus, brushed clean and thickly sliced

130g Carnaroli risotto rice

A glass of white wine

500ml chicken or vegetable stock

A small handful Parmesan, grated

A small handful of parsley, chopped

Squeeze of lemon

Salt and pepper

Melt a couple of knobs of butter in a heavy bottomed pan and on a low heat soften the chopped shallot adding the garlic after a couple of minutes adding a pinch of salt.

Strain the dried mushrooms adding half the water from each to the stock which should be gently simmering away by now.

Add the Porcini, Horn of Plenty and Hedgehogs along with a little salt and pepper to the pan, give them a good stir and continue to cook on a low heat until they have softened a little.

Turn up the heat slightly and add the Carnaroli giving it a good stir again, after about a minute add the wine and stir until the rice has absorbed it.

Wild Mushroom Risotto the finished article.

Add the first ladle of stock, simmer and stir regularly until almost absorbed then repeat for around 10 minutes. At this point you should see the sauce forming and it a good time to check the seasoning and adjust as you wish. Continue adding the stock and stirring until the rice is cooked to your pleasing, there should still be a little bite in the rice if it is done properly.

Add another knob of butter, the Parmesan and chopped the parsley and give it a final big stir.