Risotto con Fungi "Diablo"

Richard Kozicki was our Minister of Archives when he shared this devilishly spicy dish.

by Richard Kozicki

Boletus edulis. © Ethan Ramsey (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 321976982)

Method

Sauté the mushrooms until fully cooked and browned (5 to 8 minutes).
Melt butter in a heavy 3 quart pot.
Dice onions, garlic, and chili peppers and add to the melted butter, along with 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper. Sauté lightly for 3 minutes.
Add dry Arborio rice and continue to sauté for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the sautéed mushrooms.
Add one cup (or ladle) of chicken broth (or chicken broth plus reserved mushroom liquid). Wait for the rice to absorb the liquid and begin to thicken, then add the next cup of broth, continuing this process for about 25 minutes. Stir the rice frequently and
taste for doneness. When done, the texture should be creamy with some broth still present.

Fine wine (such as Black Diamond Run Zin or Cab) will enhance this dish greatly. Homemade ale or porter wouldn't hurt either.

—Richard

Recipe contributed:

January

1996

You can use any mushrooms for this, though some may work better than others. For example, porcini is a classic pairing with risotto, and highly recommended. Chanterelles provide a lovely color contrast. Agaricus augustus can also hold up well in risotto.

On the other hand, portobello may turn the color a darker grayish-brown and some feel it tastes a little metallic. More delicate or nuanced species like morels, black trumpets, or yellowfoot may have their flavors drowned out by the garlic, butter, and peppers in this dish, and be better served elsewhere.

Objective:

Side or first course

Total Time:

45 mins

Yield:

2 mains or 4 sides

Suggested Mushrooms:

Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus)
Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris)
The Prince (Agaricus augustus)

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Ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter*

1 medium yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

6 fresh Thai chili peppers**

Fresh ground black pepper

3/4 lb. Arborio rice

1/2 lb. fresh wild mushrooms (or 1 oz. dried mushrooms rehydrated in water for one hour prior to use, reserving the liquid)

6 Cups low-sodium chicken broth***

* Do not substitute margarine for butter — it will change the entire flavor of the dish. (If you do, then don't use my name in context with your aberration.)

** Jalapeño, serrano, or arbol peppers (chile de árbol) will light your fire also.

** If you rehydrate dried mushrooms, reserve the liquid and strain it, which should leave you around 1 to 1.5 cups of the flavorful liquid. Use this liquid in place of the equivalent portion of the chicken broth.

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