Instructions

1. Make the stock. Heat the olive oil in a large stock-pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, carrot and garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes to lightly brown. Add in the dried mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt and water then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 1 hour. Taste for seasoning, then strain. Place back in the stock-pot and set aside for now.
2. Make the mushrooms. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook until browned and very reduced. Add in the fresh mushrooms and cook until very browned, about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Once the mushrooms have browned, add in the marsala wine and deglaze the pan, scrapping any brown bits up from the bottom as needed. Add in the thyme and cook, adding in salt/pepper as needed. I usually start with a small pinch and then go from there. Keep warm over low heat.
4. Heat the mushroom broth in the stock-pan from step 1 over medium heat.
5. In a new, separate sauce pan, add the arborio rice over medium heat until just toasted, about 30-60 seconds stirring the entire time.
6. Add a laddle of warmed mushroom broth to the pan with the rice and stir almost constantly, until liquid has been absorbed. Continue to add in broth, a laddle or two add a time, until rice is tender and cooked through. You likely don’t need any more salt or pepper, but feel free to taste and season as needed. You may not need all the broth, but wanted to make sure you had enough liquid rather than not enough.
7. If using parmesan cheese, stir in 1/4 cup cheese into the rice.
8. Stir in the cooked mushroom into the risotto rice and divide among four plates. Garnish with more cheese, if desired and serve.