I recently took a trip to Europe and I found some amazing dried porcini mushrooms at an outdoor market in London as well as some truffle oil and truffle paste. So, upon returning home, I was inspired to create something with these treasures. The result was fantastic. It goes to show you, that the best creations begin with the best ingredients. I did use a store bought vegetable stock. You can make your own but use more stock and less added water.

Serves 6

2 bay leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme

6 sprigs parsley

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed in a strainer under cold water

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 tsp soy sauce

4 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, wiped clean, stems discarded, and cut into fourths, sixths or eighths depending on the size. (I used a mix of baby bellas, shiitake, and oyster.)

2 cups chopped onion

sea salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/4 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine or vermouth

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

white or black truffle oil (optional)

Place parsley, bay leaves, thyme, stock, soy sauce, porcini mushrooms and 4 cups water in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until porcini are softened, about 15 minutes. Strain the broth and place back in the saucepan. Keep the broth hot over a low heat. Discard the herbs and chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.

Heat the oven to a very low temperature or a warming drawer. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil (I used a Tuscan herb oil which added a nice flavor but completely optional) in a skillet. Add chopped fresh mushrooms, 1 cup onions, and salt; saute until mushrooms release all their liquid and then continue to brown. This should take about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute for another minute. Transfer to a oven proof container and keep the mushrooms warm.

Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add remaining cup of onions and a little salt. Saute until onions are translucent. Add rice and cook until grain edges are transparent, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed the wine. Add in the minced porcini and about 3 cups of broth. Cook over a medium low heat stirring frequently, every 2 minutes. As the rice absorbs the liquid, keep adding in ladlefuls of the hot broth and stirring. You should have just enough stock to keep the rice covered in liquid as you stir it. Keep up this process of stirring and adding more liquid until the rice is tender but still has a firmness (not crunchy) in the center. Allow excess liquid to be absorbed. The risotto should be creamy but not soupy. Stir in the remaining tbsp. of butter, and the sautéed mushrooms, parmesan and parsley. Drizzle in some truffle oil if you are using. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.