Risotto Barracks Street

Remove stems before chopping portobellos. Bring chicken stock to a boil; add portobello stems and porcini mushrooms. Reduce liquid to 1 1/2 quarts. Chuck the bacon into a skillet and cook on medium low until almost done. Remove bacon from pan to cool, but leave the vitamin G. Add portobello caps and sauté until most of the liquid has come out of the mushrooms. Remove and reserve; chop bacon and reserve.

In a medium sauté pan, cook shallots in 2 tablespoons butter for 2 or 3 minutes (till clear). Add rice and bacon and run on medium heat for 3 minutes.

Don’t let the rice brown. Now splash the white wine in and cook until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring the whole time. Remove porcini mushrooms from stock and reserve; strain out stems and discard. Start ladling the hot chicken stock into the pan, at first just enough to cover the rice. Keep stirring as that is absorbed. Now and then, add a bit more stock so you always have a low simmer going on. Stir, stir, stir. In about 16 1/2 minutes, when the last of the stock has been absorbed, toss in the portobello and porcini ’shrooms and let them go for 5 or 6 minutes. When the rice is chewy but not too firm in the center, toss in the thyme, parsley and remaining butter. Stir a bit. Now it’s time to pour up the red wine.