Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Risotto

After a very long hiatus (winter break) from writing due to the slowest internet connection at least in the Midwest, and possibly the country, I am finally back at school and beautiful wireless. If you haven't noticed already, I LOVE mushrooms in really all forms, and eat them quite often. This was a recipe I made while home, a slight twist on my normal go-to risotto recipe, but I really liked the additions of roasted garlic and thyme. If you don't have roasted garlic on hand, it takes a little while to make, but is completely worth it.

Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Risotto (adapted from Bon Appétit)

5 cups chicken broth
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms,* rinsed (optional, but adds great flavor)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
12 ounces baby bella or other wild mushrooms, sliced
5 garlic cloves, roasted
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese


Preparation

To roast garlic: preheat oven to 375. Cut off the top of an entire head of garlic and put in a small roasting pan. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top, then cover with foil. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and a knife easily goes into one of the cloves. Alternately, if you are like me and only want to roast a few cloves at a time, you can just pull them apart, drizzle with oil, and bake for about 25 minutes instead.

For risotto: Bring broth to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add porcini and simmer until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to plate. Cool mushrooms and chop finely. Cover broth and keep warm over very low heat.

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add porcini, garlic and both herbs; sauté 4 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot broth; simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more broth by half cupfuls and stirring often, about 30 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

*Porcini are available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.