Risotto with mushrooms and truffle cheese

A creamy mushroom and truffle cheese risotto feels like a restaurant dish, but is surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need is a little patience: stir gently and add the broth ladle by ladle. At the end, stir in some grated truffle cheese, such as Villa Chorizo Pepper Truffle Cheese. It gives your risotto a deep, earthy truffle flavour with a hint of pepper.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 150 g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)
• 100 g chestnut mushrooms or mixed mushrooms
• 1 shallot
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 500 ml hot mushroom broth
• 100 g truffle cheese, such as Villa Truffo or Villa Chorizo Pepper Truffle Cheese
• salt and pepper

How to make mushroom and truffle cheese risotto

1. Prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the shallot, mince the garlic and cut the mushrooms into 1 cm cubes.
2. Sauté the base. Melt 1 tbsp of butter with the olive oil in a saucepan over low heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic until translucent.
3. Cook the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they are glossy and lightly browned.
4. Toast the rice. Add the risotto rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are translucent.
5. Deglaze. Pour in the white wine and stir until it has almost completely been absorbed.
6. Add the broth. Pour in one ladle of hot broth and stir regularly. Only add another ladle once the previous one has been absorbed. Repeat for about 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Check the texture. Taste a grain: the rice is cooked when it is tender but still has a slight bite.
8. Finish. Grate the truffle cheese. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and most of the cheese. Let the risotto rest with the lid on for 2 minutes.
9. Serve with the remaining grated cheese and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.

Tips for the perfect risotto

• Keep the broth hot. Cold broth slows down the cooking process and makes the risotto less creamy.
• Keep stirring. Stirring releases the starch from the rice, making your risotto creamy without the need for cream.
• Mantecatura: stirring in cold butter and cheese off the heat at the end is the Italian secret to a glossy risotto.
• More mushroom flavour: soak 10 g of dried porcini mushrooms in warm water and add them along with the soaking liquid.

Which cheese goes well with risotto?

Truffle cheese makes this risotto special, but other cheeses work well too. For a classic flavour, use a hard, long-matured cheese such as Weydeland 48+ Oud Overjarig. For a spicy version, stir in Villa Nella Italian Herb Cheese.

Frequently asked questions

What wine should I drink with truffle risotto?

A dry, full-bodied white wine is a good match, such as the wine you used to deglaze. A light red wine can also work, especially with a robust mushroom flavour.

Can you reheat risotto?

Risotto tastes best when freshly made. You can reheat leftovers with a splash of broth or turn them into arancini: rice balls that you coat in breadcrumbs and fry until golden brown.