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by Joseph Denison Carey

The secret to a perfect mushroom risotto is keeping a creamy, almost soupy texture at the end, and not over-cooking it to stodge. Feel free to use a mix of mushrooms depending on what's available. Wild mushrooms have a more distinctive flavour, but cultivated chestnut or portobello mushrooms are still very good.

Main course

Buyer's guide

Buy fresh parmesan where possible; the taste is far superior to pre-packed cheese – and avoid ready-grated cheese at all costs. Because Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is not made with vegetarian rennet, strict vegetarians avoid it. However, there are good vegetarian Parmesan-style cheeses available in most supermarkets, including one made in the UK. It's worth reading parmesan labels and quizzing cheesemongers on the age of their parmesan. Each age has different characteristics.

12-15 month Parmigiano-Reggiano has a milky, verdant flavour with a soft texture. It's ideal as an aperitif or crumbled into salads. 18 month parmesan is often exported as a good quality everyday parmesan that has a good flavour for cooking, such as freshly grated in pastas and risottos. 24-28 month Parmigiano-Reggiano is considered by Italians to have reached perfection and its rounded flavour works well in most dishes. It has a complex aroma of melted butter and dry fruit and tastes wonderful with all sorts of vegetables and fruit from spinach gnocchi and griddled asparagus to poached pears. 36-48 month Parmigiano-Reggiano has an intense, spicy flavour, drier texture and darker colour. This can be eaten like a good Stilton at the end of a meal or baked in cheese sticks, pastries and dough.