Davidstow mushroom & cheddar risotto

Ingredients

•    100g Dried Mushrooms.

•    250g Arborio rice

•    1.5 Litres of Mushroom / Veg Stock

•    200g Fresh mushrooms / exotic mushrooms

•    250ml White Wine

•    2 King Oyster Mushrooms

•    Sprig of Thyme

•    1 Large white onion finely sliced

•    3 cloves garlic finely sliced

•    1tbsp Olive Oil

•    50g Butter

•    150g 36mth Davidstow Reserve Cheddar

•    1 Lemon Zest & Juice

•    Salt / Pepper

Recipe

1.         Gently cook the onion & garlic in the butter and a dash of the oil. Try not to get too much colour in the onions & garlic, cook it nice and slow it will bring out the sweetness and fragrance in the ingredients and stop the butter burning.

2.        Make a stock in a jug with the veg stock and adding in the dried mushrooms to rehydrate in the stock. This will infuse the stock whilst cooking and also add a beautiful rich mushroom flavour.

3.         Add the rice into the pan with the onions & garlic along with some extra butter and coat the rice with the butter & onion / garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add in the fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped.

4.        Add the wine to the pan and stir in, cook for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat down to a low setting so it’s just simmering, add the stock little by little, stirring regularly for around 35-40 mins.

5.        Slice the King Oyster mushrooms vertically and score diagonally. Cook in a separate pan in some butter for 2-3 minutes each side.

6.        When the risotto is nearly finished, but still has just a little bite, add the fresh thyme, and the grated cheese and stir through. Season well and serve with the King Oyster mushrooms and grated lemon zest on top.

7.         A side of fresh asparagus slightly steamed and dressed with olive oil is a lovely addition.