Wild Mushroom Risotto with Burnt Butter and Thyme

1. 01

   Heat the stock

   Pour your vegetable stock into a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Keep it there — you don't want cold stock shocking your rice halfway through. A warm bath, not a boil.

   ~5 min
2. 02

   Sear the mushrooms

   Tear larger mushrooms in half; leave small ones whole. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, no fat yet. When it's hot, add the mushrooms in batches — they'll release their moisture and caramelize lightly. Season as you go. Set aside on a plate when golden.

   ~8 min
3. 03

   Soften the shallots

   In the same pan (mushroom bits and all), melt 25g of butter over medium heat. Add your sliced shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring now and then. You're building flavour, not rushing.

   ~4 min
4. 04

   Toast and add the rice

   Tip in your Arborio rice and stir constantly for about a minute. You'll hear it click gently against the pan — that's it toasting. Pour in a ladleful of warm stock, stir until it's absorbed, then add another. Keep going for 15–18 minutes, adding stock as the rice drinks it. The rice should look creamy, not soupy.

   ~18 min
5. 05

   Finish the risotto

   When the rice is tender but still has a whisper of bite, stir through your cooked mushrooms and the thyme leaves (discard the woody stems). Now the critical bit: add 75g of cold butter in cubes and grate in your Parmesan. Stir hard for 30 seconds until creamy and loose. Taste and season.

   ~2 min
6. 06

   Brown butter and serve

   While the risotto rests, melt the final 25g of butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Watch it like a hawk — it'll foam, then smell nutty and brown. Pour a spoon of this liquid gold over each plate. Finish with fresh thyme and a crack of pepper.

   ~3 min

First spoonful hits you with creamy rice and deep mushroom earthiness — almost savoury-sweet. Mid-palate, the burnt butter clicks in, all hazelnut and caramel depth. Finish is long and umami-rich from the Parmesan, with thyme's herbaceous edge cutting through. The kind of dish that makes you want another bowl before you've finished the first.

• ·Forage your own mushrooms if you know what you're doing — supermarket ones are fine, but wild ones taste like something happened to them
• ·Never stop stirring during the last third of cooking; risotto rewards attention, punishes neglect
• ·If your stock runs out before the rice is done, use boiling water — it's not romantic but it works