Mushroom & buckwheat risotto

Source: Alissa Timoshkina

Ingredients:

• 20g dried wild mushrooms
• 100ml boiling water
• 2tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 400g chestnut mushrooms, chopped
• 2 pinches of salt
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve
• 150ml dry white wine
• splash of soy sauce
• 400g roasted buckwheat
• 600g vegetable stock
• knob of unsalted butter
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 50g toasted pine nuts, to garnish
• dill leaves, to serve

Method:

Soak the wild mushrooms in the measured boiling water for 10-15 minutes

In the meantime heat up the oil in a medium-sized saucepan and fry the onion over medium heat for a few minutes until translucent but not yet caramelized. Add the chestnut mushrooms and salt and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated.

Drain the wild mushrooms, reserve the liquid, chop them roughly, and add to the pan, along with the garlic and herbs. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the white wine and soy sauce. Increase the heat for 5-8 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate and then add the buckwheat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir well until the buckwheat soaks up all the liquid.

Mix the mushroom soaking liquid with the vegetable stock and start adding it to the pan, 100ml ad a time, stirring constantly until each batch of liquid become absorbed before adding the next one. Continue until all the stock is used up. The buckwheat should be almost cooked at this stage.

Turn off the heat and add the knob of butter and black pepper and then cover firmly with a lid and let the risotto rest for 10 minutes.