Night and Day Mushroom and Pork Risotto

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I was delightfully surprised at how affordable fresh mushrooms are in Valencia (i.e. 1/5 less than what I've been used to) so I was inspired to make a mushroom risotto which is a family favorite. I modified this classic by adding pork to make it more hearty and satisfying. This is my easy version that takes about an hour to make. I have a more complicated version where I make my own pork-mushroom-vegetable stock. It needs an additional 2-3 hours and too many pots and pans to wash so I only do it on special occasions. Ojala, I'll be developing food nerd tutorials for these kinds of recipes later.

To maximize returns, I cook more than we need for dinner so that in the morning, we can use the leftover to make a second dish that is perfect for brunch. I bought most of the ingredients from Mercadona and placed links so it will be easier for you to find them (I am not paid by or associated with Mercadona).

Without further ado, here is our two-way, Night and Day Mushroom and Pork Risotto...

Night

Ingredients for 6-8 servings; 3-4 people if you plan to do the Day version

• 6 cups hot chicken broth*

• Virgin olive oil

• 325 g Portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced**

• 325 g white mushrooms, thinly sliced**

• 350 g pork collar (aguja), diced about 1cm***

• 1 spring onion bulb (tiernas manojo), diced (approx. 100 g)

• 1/2 red onion, diced (approx. 50 g)

• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (dry measuring cups)

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1/4 cup butter

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives/ spring onion leaves/ leeks

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan/ Grana Padano cheese (approx. 50 g)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*I dissolved chicken and mushroom powder in hot water until it was salty enough for me, but just chicken stock or bouillon is also fine.

**Please don't question the amount of mushrooms - this will make your risotto super lush! Sharpen your knife well before slicing mushrooms because they can give you goosebumps -- it's like scraping styrofoam! You can also buy the pre-sliced ones to avoid the pain.

***This cheap cut of pork is best because of its excellent marbling.

Directions

1. Lightly season pork with salt and pepper. Follow steps 2-5 in high heat.

2. Heat some olive oil in the pan and stir fry the pork until browned. Set aside.

3. Wet the pan's surface again with olive oil and stir fry the mushrooms until they are tender. Set aside with the liquid.

4. Splash some olive oil into the pan again and cook the onions until they are translucent then add the rice and stir until toasted. It should be translucent yellow-brown.

5. Deglaze the rice with wine and mix until the liquid is absorbed. I do this step here for the wine and rice to pick up all the pork and mushroom flavors, then I transfer everything into a thick-bottomed pot* that has been pre-warmed.

6. Add 2/3 of the hot broth and the pork and stir for a minute, then bring the heat to medium. I have to be honest, most people will tell you to constantly stir the rice and add the liquid little by little -- remember Gordon Ramsey in his Hell's Kitchen days? But in my easy version, you don't have to. I've been cooking rice all my life and it told me that it hates being stirred. It actually takes longer and you will need more liquid if you stir. So I prefer to leave it alone and simply nurse it by adding liquid every time it looks like it's about to dry, without stirring. Keep the top wet but not flooded, and you may or may not finish the rest of the stock. Do this until it's almost al dente which you will know as the color of the grains even out. You can also taste it to check.

7. Once the rice is comfortable to bite but still al dente, call the family to set the table!!! Add the butter, parmesan, and the mushrooms with their liquid and stir well. At this point, it should be easy to stir but creamy, not watery. Season with pepper and salt if still needed.

8. Stir in the chives, leaving a bit as a final garnish, and serve immediately.

9. After dinner, store the leftover risotto in the fridge to do the Day recipe below.

*It is important to have a thick-bottomed pot because in this recipe, we won't stir the risotto constantly. I use a relatively cheap Ikea pot and my risotto cooked evenly in medium heat without any crust or soccarat at the bottom -- that's reserved for paella. I'm not sponsored by Ikea but I put the link to the pot here for your reference.

Day

The next morning, your risotto will be sticky and unpleasant, but you can turn it into a gourmet brunch if you follow this recipe.

Ingredients

• Leftover risotto

• Grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese

• Olive oil

• Chopped chives for garnish

This can be served with your choice of salad and a fried egg on top like so...

Directions

1. Prepare plates with salad on one side.

2. Make risotto patties about 1.5 cm thick.

3. Generously coat both sides of the patties with cheese.

4. Heat olive oil in a pan and gently crisp both sides of the patties, i.e. use medium heat so as not to burn the cheese and to heat the risotto through.

5. Once done, let them rest on the plates next to the salad while you fry some eggs.

6. Top each patty with an egg and some chopped chives, serve, and enjoy your brunch!