Mushroom Truffle Risotto

Around Christmas time I was shopping or a truffle for a friend. She had mentioned, many times, how much she wanted to cook with a truffle and I thought it would make a good gift. While looking for truffles, which I found, I also found a jar of this mushroom and truffle sauce like stuff which I ended up buying for myself. I had no idea what I was going to do with it but had to have it. It sat on my counter for a couple of months and then one day it just hit me....dah.. risotto.

Salsa Tartufata is a mushroom and truffle mixture that comes in a small 2 oz jar. The one I bought is from Urbani Tartufi and imported from Italy. I purchased it at Whole Foods but located the web site and attached a link on this blog should you wish to view or order on line.

I made the risotto once and was very happy with the results. In fact when we sat down to eat it my husband and I just looked at each other and said wow this is really gooooood! Weeks after eating it I was still experiencing afterglow and wondered if it was really that good so I made it again just to make sure. It is that good.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 14 oz cans chicken broth, heated (vegetable stock could be used as well)
• 1 oz (half the jar) salsa tartufata
• White pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Hot water, if needed
• Parmesan, Pecorino, and Asigo cheese, finely grated
  
  

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and have a ladle ready to add to the rice. Keep on a low flame to keep hot.

In heavy bottomed saute pan heat the oil, add the onions, and saute gently only until translucent, as you do not want them to brown. Add the rice and allow to toast slightly for about two minutes. Add the wine and stir well until it evaporates. At this point start adding the chicken stock one ladle at a time and stirring almost constantly. After each ladle of stock, stir and allow the risotto to absorb the stock before adding the next. Stirring the rice with the stock brings out the starch which the whole point of acheiving a rich and creamy dish. Do not allow the rice to get dry or it will stick to the skillet. This process will take approximately 15 minutes. Add the tarfuti, some white pepper, and salt. Stirring well after each addition.

If, after using all the stock, you need more liquid, heat some water and use that. The chicken stock has given it enough flavor. Use the same saucepan to heat the water and ladle it into the rice as you are finishing the dish.

Once the rice is done (you must taste) turn off the heat and add the butter then the cheeses. I use the three because I think it gives the dish such a depth of flavor. Of course if you have only one type of cheese on hand you can still use only the one.

The perfect way to serve this is with a simple green salad. I also use canola oil in this dish because the flavor is more neutral. In addition the chicken stock you use will have an impact on the final flavor of the dish so choose one you really like.