Mushroom and Thyme Risotto

This is a classic and it's perfect for a chilly Autumn evening.

I used Madeira instead of white wine in the initial stages of the recipe (mainly because I didn't have any white wine in the house) and it worked really well with the earthiness of the mushrooms; it turned it into a much richer dish. Give it a go if you can.

You can use whatever mushrooms you can most easily get your hands on for this recipe. However, it's tastiest if you use a variety of different types.

This takes 30 minutes and will serve 4.

Mushroom and Thyme Risotto
10g butter
3 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion
500g mushrooms
350g arborio rice
1 small glass Madeira
1 litre vegetable stock
1 small handful fresh thyme leaves
80g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

1. Chop the onion. Melt the butter in a large casserole dish over a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and tip in the onion. Stir and sizzle for 2 minutes.
2. Roughly slice the mushrooms and add to the dish. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced in size. Add the rice and stir well.
3. Pour in the Madeira, stir and allow to reduce down. Begin adding the stock, a little at a time, stirring until the rice has absorbed the stock before adding more. Continue until all of the stock has been used and the rice is plump and tender.
4. Stir in the thyme, then turn off the heat. Add the remaining olive oil and the parmesan to the risotto (don't stir it) and put the lid on the dish. Leave for 5 minutes, then stir well and serve.