Peat-Dark Mushroom Risotto with Burnt Butter and Thyme

1. 01

   Get your stock on

   Pour stock into a pot and bring it to a gentle simmer with the bay leaf and thyme. Keep it there — you want it hot when it hits the rice, not a shock to the system. This takes 5 minutes max if you're using decent shop stock.

   ~5 min
2. 02

   Clean and slice your mushrooms

   Brush soil off wild mushrooms with a damp cloth — don't wash them, they'll turn to mush. Slice thicker ones, halve the smaller ones. You want them about the size of a thumb joint so they don't disappear into the risotto. This is the meditative bit.

   ~10 min
3. 03

   Sear the mushrooms

   Heat a large, heavy pan (cast iron is perfect) over medium-high heat with 30g of the butter. When it's foaming, work the mushrooms in batches — don't crowd the pan. You want colour, not steam. They'll release liquid first, then sear. Takes about 8-10 minutes for all of them. Season as you go. Set them aside.

   ~10 min
4. 04

   Soften the onion

   Same pan, add another 20g butter and the diced onion. Low-medium heat, let it turn translucent and sweet, about 5 minutes. Don't brown it — you want sweetness, not colour. Stir occasionally, let your mind wander.

   ~5 min
5. 05

   Toast the rice

   Tip the rice into the pan with the onion. Stir constantly for 2 minutes — it'll turn translucent at the edges and smell nutty. This stops it going gluey. You're building texture now.

   ~2 min
6. 06

   Coax the risotto

   Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until the rice has absorbed each ladle before adding the next — this is not a set-and-forget dish. About 18-20 minutes total. The rice should be creamy but still bite back slightly. Halfway through, stir the mushrooms back in with any juices they've released.

   ~20 min
7. 07

   Finish with burnt butter and cheese

   Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the remaining 50g butter cut into chunks, and the Parmesan. Season hard — risotto drinks salt. The butter should melt into a loose, creamy mess. If it feels tight, add a splash of warm stock. Serve immediately into warm bowls.

   ~3 min

First spoonful is rich and creamy with a whisper of peat from the mushrooms — earthy in the way that tastes like rain and soil. The rice has tooth still. Middle of the plate: umami builds, the thyme's herbal and sharp, the Parmesan salty. Last bite: the burnt butter note lingers, warm and nutty, and you want another bowl immediately.

• ·Stir the risotto constantly in the last 5 minutes — this releases starch and makes it creamy without any cream
• ·Never, ever let the stock boil hard; a gentle simmer keeps the rice from breaking apart
• ·If you find a really good mushroom variety you've never seen before, buy it and use it raw as a garnish instead — let people taste what you've actually foraged