Morel Risotto

Morchella, the true morel, is a genus of edible mushrooms closely related to anatomically simpler cup fungi in the order Pezizales.

Morel hunting is a big deal here in the Pacific Northwest. According to my favorite forester, the morel is pyrophilic, which means it grows really well in forests which have been recently burned by a forest fire.

Morels have a lovely flavor, often described as nutty. And they love butter as much as I do.  Since they respond fairly well to long slow cooking times, I thought I'd sub in morels this season in my favorite rice dish ... risotto. This is a long cooking experience... go full Julia Child as you cook this, pour yourself a glass of wine, line up a jazzy playlist and stir and stir... 

Ingredients

1.5 cups of arborio rice
Handful of morels (or other mushroom) 
One large, sweet onion, chopped and caramelized
One leek, finely sliced
Veggie broth
Lemon
Butter
Olive oil

Caramelize your onion in butter and olive oil. Do not be fooled, this takes a loooooong time.  But so does risotto. You can either start these processes simultaneously or do the onion ahead of time. I like caramelized onion as a condiment or in small doses in other dishes, so I make it ahead of time and just add whatever's left into the risotto.  Here's a good guide with some recipes attached. Just go slow.  Sip your wine. 
 
The rice... risotto is arborio rice cooked very slowly.  The end product is a lovely, creamy mixture that will remind you (slightly) of rice pudding. Here's my favorite guide to cooking risotto, though I have never been able to beat a 45 minute cooking time. This may be why I don't have my own restaurant!  I also don't ever add the cheese, I think the rice is creamy enough without it.  But again, why not add cheese if you can tolerate it. Parmesan or any hard cheese is good. And so is cheve!

If you're using the recipe linked above, your soffrito is sauteed morels and leeks, with caramelized onions stirred in. I used zero spices, because I figured the broth had enough salt to make the morel and leek flavor pop... and I really wanted to taste the mushrooms... but go crazy with the spices if you're feeling it! 

I add a squirt of lemon at the end, to add some brightness to the flavor.

Serve with roasted asparagus and a side of weird slaw.