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1
Clean the mushrooms and separate the hats from the stems. Slice the hats, chop the stems, and set aside.
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2
Heat olive oil in a pan and saute a clove of garlic over medium heat until golden. Remove garlic, add the sliced mushroom hats and saute over high heat. When cooked, season with salt and pepper and set aside in a bowl with their juice.
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3
Add more olive oil to the pan and saute another clove of garlic over medium heat until it is full of color. Remove it, then add the mushroom stems and saute them over high heat. Add the rice and broth and reduce heat. Continue cooking the risotto.*
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4
When the risotto is almost done and almost dry, stir in the reserved caps and mushroom liquid. Continue stirring until the mushroom liquid is absorbed. Add butter to hold the risotto together and make it richer. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
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5
*The basic technique is this: heat the butter or oil in a heavy pan and saute the vegetables, onions, garlic, or whatever else the recipe calls for. When the vegetables are soft, add the rice, one generous fistful per person. Stir continually to coat the rice. Have twice as much broth as the amount of rice you plan to use. If you run out of broth, use water. Add a ladleful of broth to the rice and continue stirring. When all the liquid has been absorbed, add more broth. Add more liquid when the rice has absorbed what is in the pan. The rice should be between wet and dry, never soupy; otherwise, the rice boils and won't absorb the taste of the other ingredients. Continue for 15 or 20 minutes, stirring continually and adding liquid as it is absorbed. Adjust the heat as you cook. It should be low enough so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan, but high enough so that everything is bubbling in a lively way. The risotto is done when the center of the rice is slightly firm and not bright white. As with pasta, taste a kernel to see if it's done.
