On our recent Daylesford tour, we made our delicious Risotto Funghi e Salsiccia al Timo or Mushroom, Sausage and Thyme Risotto. It was well received by guests; so much so that some rated it ‘the best mushroom risotto they have ever eaten’.
With mushrooms in season, if you’re interested in a simple risotto packed with the flavours of Tuscany and a whole lot of heart-warming goodness, then you’ll enjoy this recipe. It is one of our firm Autumn favourites. It needs a little preparation and attention while on the gas, but it delivers an utterly heart-warming hit to the cockles, warding off the coolest night.
We first made this risotto with our good friends in Gaiole in Chianti when porcini were in season and wow, what a flavour sensation that was. This version is made with a blend of Italian dried porcini and a mix of other mushrooms in season, including pine, swiss browns, portobello, large flat and small cup mushrooms.
We use our own homemade chicken stock to cook the risotto, as well as a healthy pour of red wine and the leftover liquid from soaking the dried porcini. The textures of this risotto are sensational – creamy rice, meaty mushrooms and tender, crumbled pork sausage. It’s key that you use really good quality pork sausage, so make sure you source the best you can. Our go-to option is a pork and fennel sausage from Nino and Joes butchers in Brunswick.
Match this delicious, earthy mushroom risotto with a glass of Chianti Classico on an autumn evening, and you will feel like you have just stepped in from the piazza in a hilltop town in Chianti. Buonissimo!
Risotto Funghi e Salsiccia al Timo
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups Carnaroli rice, unwashed
1 glass red wine
4 tablespoons finely diced onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 Pork Sausages
1/2 cup or 20 g dried Porcini mushrooms
400 g fresh mushrooms, using 2-3 different types including any of pine, swiss browns, portobello, large flat and small cup
3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove Garlic
1 litre Chicken Stock
Salt to taste
Knob of Butter
75g Parmigiano Reggiano
5 sprigs of Thyme
Parsley to taste
Method
1. Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in lukewarm water for at least twenty minutes.
2. Clean the mushrooms of soil and slice into bite size pieces.
3. Finely dice the onion and parsley and place to one side.
4. Finely slice the garlic and place to one side.
5. Remove the sausage meat from the casing, and place to one side
6. Cook all of the fresh mushrooms in a pan over a low heat with a drizzle of oil, a knob of butter, the sliced garlic and thyme. After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside.
7. Crumble the sausages into the same pan and brown them. Once cooked through, remove and set aside.
8. Drain and chop the Porcini mushroom, retaining the liquid.
9. Add the onion and parsley into the same pan with a little more olive oil and sauté over low/medium heat until the onion is soft. Remove this mix from the pan and set aside.
10. Add the rice to the pan and heat through for a couple of minutes over high heat, continually stirring but not allowing to toast.
11. Add 1 glass of red wine to the rice and let it evaporate.
12. Add a ladle of warm, simmering chicken stock and cook, stirring the rice and adding more stock as it is absorbed.
13. After 20 minutes of cooking, add the mushrooms, sausages and onion and parsley mix.
14. Add the reserved liquid that the porcini was soaking in, pay attention to not add the sediment at the bottom of the glass.
15. Continue to add the warm stock as needed.
16. Just before the end (should be approx. 35mins total cooking time since adding the rice), season with salt and ground pepper.
17. Once cooked to your liking (the grain should be soft but retain its shape and texture), remove from the heat and stir through the remaining butter and the grated Parmesan cheese.
18. Let it rest for a further 2 minutes before serving.
19. Garnish each individual plate with a spring of thyme.
Buon appetito!
