The umami intensity of Porcini Mushroom Crème Honey stirred in at the finish turns a classic risotto into something genuinely unexpected. This is one of those recipes where the honey does the work — earthy, woodsy, deeply savory.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Black Barn Apiary Porcini Mushroom Crème Honey
• 1½ cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water (for soaking mushrooms)
• 5 cups good quality chicken or vegetable stock, kept warm
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
• Salt and white pepper
• Fresh thyme or chives to finish

Method

1. Soak dried porcini in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Lift out mushrooms, squeeze excess liquid back into the bowl. Roughly chop mushrooms. Strain soaking liquid through a fine sieve — reserve it, it is liquid gold.
2. Add the strained porcini soaking liquid to your warm stock. Keep at a gentle simmer throughout.
3. In a wide heavy pan, heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until completely soft and translucent, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
4. Add rice and toast, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until translucent at the edges.
5. Add white wine and stir until fully absorbed. Add chopped porcini.
6. Begin adding warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring after each addition and waiting until each ladle is absorbed before adding the next. This process takes 18–22 minutes.
7. When rice is al dente with a creamy consistency, remove from heat. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp butter, Parmigiano, and Porcini Mushroom Crème Honey. Beat vigorously — the risotto should flow like lava.
8. Season with salt and white pepper. Rest 2 minutes before serving in warmed bowls.

Chef's Notes

The porcini honey acts as both a flavor amplifier and a gentle binder in the mantecatura (the final butter and cheese emulsification). Do not add it earlier — the heat kills its complexity. Finish with a few drops of good truffle oil if you are feeling extravagant.