Foraged Mushroom and Thyme Risotto for Cool Autumn Nights

Autumn is the season when the forest starts giving things away. After a good rain, the woods fill with chanterelles, hedgehogs, and the occasional puffball the size of a football. Even if you are not confident enough to forage mushrooms yourself, the farmers market in October is full of growers who are. Buy a mixed basket, bring it home, and make risotto.

Risotto has a reputation for being fussy, but it is really just patient. You stir, you add liquid, you stir again. The reward is a bowl of rice that is creamy without cream, each grain still with a little bite. Mushrooms and thyme are made for this. The earthiness of the fungi and the piney bite of the herb sink into the rice and turn a humble grain into something that tastes like the season.

Prepping the Mushrooms

Wild mushrooms need more care than the button variety from the supermarket. Brush them clean with a damp cloth or a soft brush rather than soaking them, which turns them spongy. Trim any tough stems. If you have chanterelles, tear them into strips rather than slicing, which preserves their meaty texture. Hedgehog mushrooms are delicate and can be left whole if small. Puffballs should be sliced thick and used only if the interior is pure white and firm.

Saute the mushrooms in a hot pan with butter and a pinch of salt. Do not crowd them. You want them to brown, not steam. Once they are golden, add a few sprigs of thyme and a splash of white wine, let it cook off, and set the mushrooms aside. The pan will have a dark, savory glaze on the bottom. Do not wash it. That is flavor, and the rice will pick it up.

Stirring the Risotto

In the same pan, soften a finely chopped shallot in more butter. Add your risotto rice, arborio or carnaroli, and stir it around for a minute until the grains look translucent at the edges with a white dot in the center. Pour in a glass of dry white wine and stir until it is absorbed. Now begin adding warm stock, one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next.

This takes about twenty minutes. It is not a time to multitask. The stirring is what releases the starch that makes risotto creamy, so put on some music and commit. About halfway through, stir the mushrooms back in so their flavor melds with the rice. Taste as you go and season with salt and pepper. When the rice is tender but still has a slight chew, take the pan off the heat.

Finish with a knob of cold butter and a generous handful of grated Parmesan, beaten in vigorously. The risotto should flow like lava when you spoon it onto a plate, not sit in a stiff mound. Top with more thyme, a crack of black pepper, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Eat it immediately, because risotto waits for no one. This is a dish for a chilly evening, a glass of red wine, and a table full of people who are happy to be inside.