This dried mushroom risotto is the perfect recipe for when you’ve got virtually no fresh vegetables in the house. It’s a store-cupboard staple which is not only filling, but delicious too. As long as you have an onion and a bit of garlic, you’re good to go. Oh, and chocolate!
Welcome to my 101st post (just noticed). It’s not quite the Cloud Forest Cake which I said was going to be the first thing I made from Willie’s Chocolate Factory Cookbook, but a vegetarian dinner recipe instead. This chocolate and dried mushroom risotto is my take on Willie’s porcini & chocolate risotto recipe.
Chocolate & Dried Mushroom Risotto
I love mushroom risotto, it always seems to turn out well and has a satisfyingly earthy flavour. This is the first time I’ve ever made it with only dried mushrooms, and although it didn’t have quite the bite to it that it does if made with fresh mushrooms, it was still very tasty.
This is also the first time I’ve made mushroom risotto with chocolate. And yes, the answer you’ve all been waiting for? I thought it worked really well as it contributed to the depth of flavour without making itself obvious. In fact mushrooms and chocolate pair very well.
I’ve added parsley and rocket to this recipe as I happen to have them growing in the garden. But they are entirely optional. If it’s a store cupboard meal you’re after, leave them out or substitute for whatever greens you happen to have to hand.
Dried mushroom risotto is a nice simple supper dish as well as being a great store cupboard standby and I will most certainly be making it again. If you substitute a bit of extra olive oil for the butter and don’t add the cheese on top, you have a tasty vegan meal.
Other Savoury Chocolate Recipes You Might Like
- Cheecolates
- Chilli corn chocolate muffins
- Chocshuka
- Chocolate bean burgers to go
- Chocolate falafel
- Cocoa yogurt dip
- Honeyed fig & goat’s cheese tart with chocolate balsamic
- Granny’s shepherd’s pie
- Refried beans
- Savoury chocolate vol-au-vents
- Spinach, goat’s cheese and chocolate filo triangles
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate mushroom risotto, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more mushroom recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Dried Mushroom Risotto. PIN IT.
Dried Mushroom Risotto with Chocolate – The Recipe
Dried Mushroom Risotto with Chocolate
Ingredients
- 50 g dried mushrooms preferably mixed
- 1 tbsp tamari (affiliate link)
- 10 drops chilli sauce (I used my homemade chilli sauce)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 15 g butter
- 125 g arborio rice
- 1 tbsp dark chocolate grated (I used Willie's 100% cacao)
- 2 handful rocket finely chopped (optional)
- 1 handful fresh parsley finely chopped (optional)
- good grinding of black pepper
- a few shavings of your favourite hard cheese (I used Ilha Graciosa – an unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese from Portugal).
Instructions
- Place the mushrooms in a pan and soak in 600 ml hot water in a pan for ½ an hour. Bring them up to a near simmer and keep it at this temperature.
- Add the tamari and chilli sauce.
- Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil over a low heat until translucent. Add the butter and rice. Stir and leave for a few minutes for the rice to absorb some of the butter.
- Pour some of the mushrooms and stock into the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to do this until the stock is finished. Cover with a lid, turn the heat off and leave for a few minutes to ensure the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice properly cooked.
- Stir the chocolate, cacao, pepper, parsley and rocket (if using). Serve in bowls and scatter with the cheese.
Choclette says
Ha ha, caught me out. I did try and remedy the situation last Christmas and made a Chocolate Chestnut Log.
http://choclogblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/chocolate-chestnut-log.html
I guess it really depends how you define a chocolate log. Also made a blackcurrant roulade earlier this year which you’ll find under the label roulade.
Thanks for the cloud cake tip – still looking forward to making that one 😉
Anonymous says
willies cloud cake is excellent takes about three times longer to cook it than the recipe says……
so where’s the chocolate log recipe? if this is a true chocolate log blog. I’m looking for a recipe that I can bastardise and use loads of willies chocolat in
Choclette says
Kate – yes I’ve heard from many that this cake is really good, but it has been the expense that’s put me off a bit. I will get there, but feel it needs to be a special occasion cake, just waiting for the right occassion. I’m trying to find a cheaper source of 100% cocoa chocolate over in the UK, but haven’t had much luck yet.
Grazing Kate says
Hi Choclette, I made the cloud forest cake a few months ago – it is squidgy, rich and yummy, but expensive and it takes the whole of the Willi’s bar of chocolate. It was good, but I wanted to save my li’l barrel of choc and not squander it all in one go!
Worth making though – but it’s not going to be one of my regular ‘must makes’
Choclette says
Johanna – umm like the idea of beetroot risotto and can see that chocolate would go very well with that. I still haven’t really got my head around chocolate and savoury so keep forgetting to try it out on things.
Johanna GGG says
wow I love chocolate in savoury dishes – have actually had finely grated chocolate on beetroot risotto and loved it – and I think this sounds wonderful
Choclette says
Liz – crikey soup, that is pushing the boat out, but you’re right it could work. I’ll await with interest to see if you can find a suitable festival for chocolate soup.
Foodycat – I’ll have to go back and check out your blog now and see what you’ve been making.
Joanna – I have tried strawberries with balsamic and pepper and it was good, but not quite what you expect from a bowl of strawberries.
Joanna says
I’m another one of the never tried savoury chocolate dishes people out there. But I always make mushroom risotto with a combo of dried porcini and fresh mushrooms, one day I’ll brave the savoury chocolate dishes, something like strawberries with black pepper and balsamic vinegar, sounds odd but really good, I bet!
Foodycat says
I’ve made a few savoury chocolate dishes, but I never thought to add it to risotto! This sounds really interesting and good.
Liz says
I often make risotto with dried mushrooms because I’m a forgetful shopper, but I think the chocolate would add a lovely dark edge -definitely one to try, and I guess the same might go for a soup with similar ingredients…
Choclette says
Oxslip & CityHippy – thank you. Along with chocolate, cheese is another one of my downfalls!
CCC – I know that chocolate is used in savoury dishes in parts of Central and South America, it’s just difficult for us Brits to get our heads around – we are so used to the sweet stuff. I do use cocoa when making refried beans, but haven’t actually tried chocolate so thank you for that tip – can see a batch of chilli coming up soon (without the carne though as I’m vegetarian).
Chocolate Cardamom Cappuccino says
Historically as you know chocolate was actaully savoury because the Aztecs used a very bitter chocolate that was nearly a hundred per cent cocoa. It was only when the Spaniards brought it back and mixed it with cream and sugar to get milk chocolate that chocolate changed. There are still many recipe in Mexico today with chocolate such as mole sauce. Try a cube of dark bitter chorolate in your chillli con carne and watCh it come alive.
cityhippyfarmgirl says
101 posts- well done! Thats a funky combo for a risotto. I love trying different cheeses, they can really bring out the most of a risotto- I had a hard spanish goat one at tapas a few nights ago- deelicious.
oxslip says
Congratulations, that’s a lot of blogging. I love the sound of that cheese too.
Choclette says
Kath – the cheese was good, we got it in Waitrose (it was on offer).
Chele – you keep saying that…..!
Chele says
Happy 101st post Hun. Still not sure how I feel about chocolate / cocoa in savory food. But maybe I should actually give it a try before I rule it out …
Kath says
It looks and sounds delicious. That cheese sounds worth a try, I have never heard of it.
Choclette says
Katie – I guess it’s often good to step outside one’s boundaries sometimes.
Gill – it did work well.
Ananda – thank you. Yes I need to get on with that cake, it’s just there are so many interesting cakes to make!
Sushma – do you think you might give it a try?
Lucie – thank you. It’s horribly sad news. I had a look at all the comments over on Maria’s site and it sounds as though she will indeed be very much missed.
Jacqueline – Waitrose sell his cocoa and his chocolate and it’s a lot cheaper than buying it on his own website, although still not that cheap. A little does go a long way though.
Gillian – mushrooms well and truly charged.
Thank you MD
MaryMoh – thank you, it sure is worth a try.
Catherine – thank you, I’m rather surprised myself and didn’t know I could be so prolific!
Wendy – oooh, Argentina sounds very exciting. Shall have to take a look at your blog to see what you are up to.
Pam – thank you although it was Willie’s idea not mine.
Celia – yes thank you for warning me about the amount of cocoa used. I can see that too much might have tipped the balance. If I’d had any white wine open, I would have used that too. Neither CT and I are great drinkers so it never seems worth it to open a bottle for cooking if we are unlikely to polish it off. It does give a nice finish to risotto though.
Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial says
I’ve tried this as well, Choclette, and was astonished how well the cacao went with the mushrooms! It’s an amazingly good combo, provided you don’t go to heavy on the chocolate. Yours looks delicious, must try it again with dried mushrooms. I also added a little white wine to mine.
Pam says
Wow – what a beautiful and unique risotto.
Wendy says
What a great recipe – I have been reading up on South American recipes recently (we are off to Argentina in 2 weeks!) and have tried cooking meat dishes with chocolate. I guess this is the next thing I sghall try! Thanks, Choclette!
Catherine says
This seems like one of those “so odd it might just work” recipes, I can imagine it would taste surprisingly good! Congrats on your 101st post thats amazing! 🙂
MaryMoh says
Congrats on your 101th post! Well Done! Your risotto looks delicious though this is the first time I see grated cocoa added. I’m sure it adds flavour and colour.
M D says
Awesome looking Mushroom & Chocolate Risotto. I sure thaey must have been a hit! That must be a nice combo.
somesaycocoa says
Ah I saw this recipe and thought it might work but now you have absolutely confirmed it for me! I bet it really charged up the mushroom flavour too!
Sushma Mallya says
Very unique combo but def looks worth a try
Jacqueline says
I love mushroom risotto. Haven’t added chocolate before. Must try it. I do add it to my chilli, so it is not such a strange concept. Where did you get Willy’s chocolate from?
Lucie says
What a wonderful combination – this looks so tasty. I love mushroom risotto too. Thanks for your kind messages about Rosie – we’ll all miss her. Lucie x
Ananda Rajashekar says
Congrats :)….Wow, very rare combination, great to know! am looking fwd for your cloud forest cake :p
Katie says
At first I thought this sounded odd but thinking about it I can imagine the earthy mushroom working really well with the dark bitter chocolate. Thanks for making me think outside the box!