Mushroom risotto

Risotto has always been a favourite of mine. This is a winning dish every time. Wild mushrooms are in season now, making them extra flavourful. I love to add wild rice to give an added layer of texture and crunch. I also happen to know that this rice is also full of antioxidants and other healthy stuff.

I recently learned that mushrooms are the only vegetable/fungus that contains vitamin D and calcium!

Ingredients needed to serve 4
- 400 grams of mixed mushrooms (preferably wild mushrooms)
- 3 dl aborrio rice
- 1 dl wild rice or black rice (yes there is a difference between the two)
- 1 medium onion
- Salt and pepper
- 1 mushroom or chicken stock cube
- pinch of dried oregano
- knob of butter
- knob of coconut oil (make sure it's a flavourless version) or any other cooking oil
- 300 grams parmesan (you could also do half parmesan and the other half pecorino)
- 1 dl dry white wine
- 2 dl water to cook the black or wild rice
- 4-5 dl water for the aborrio rice

* Optional; fresh chopped parsely, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, tiny squeeze of lemon juice.

1. Cook the black or wild rice according to it's package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside. 
2. Boil the aborrio rice water and add the stock cube to it, stir to dissolve the cube. 
3. Grate the cheese. 
4. In a frying pan on a low heat allow the mushrooms to sweat out their water content. This is done in a dry pan with no fat or oil. The trick is to keep the heat on low. Once all the moisture has come out and partially evaporated add the butter and 'fry'. Add salt & pepper and finally the dried oregano. Set aside. 
5. Dice the onion and fry in the coconut oil till soft and glazed, 3-4min. Add the rice and fry for half a minute. Then add the wine and allow to evaporate. Stir continusly to avoid sticking to bottom of the pan. 
6. Once the wine has evaporated to 1/3 of it's original quantity add the stock water, slowly, 1/2 dl to start with. Stir. 
7. Add more stock water once the rice has started to soak up the initial stock water. Continue this process, adding the stock once the rice looks 'dry' while stirring. 
8. Towards the 15minute mark taste the rice; if it's still got a hard middle then keep adding stock and stirring for another 3 minute, taste again. The aim is to have a slight 'al dente' bite without it being under cooked. 
9. Once the rice is done add the parmesan and stir, allowing the cheese to melt into the rice. Then add the black or wild rice. 
10. Finally plate the risotto and add the mushrooms. 
11. I like to finish off with some chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and even a tiny squeeze of lemon juice.