Risotto ai Funghi Porcini Freschi del Casentino

Casentino, Arezzo, Tuscany

Casentino (the Arno valley above Florence) is one of Tuscany's great porcini territories. This risotto, made in autumn at peak porcini season, is built on a foundation of both dried porcini (for depth of stock) and fresh porcini (for texture and aroma) — the two working together create a more complete expression of the mushroom than either alone. The dried porcini are simmered for the stock; the fresh porcini are sliced and added raw at the end, finishing in the hot risotto without lengthy cooking.

• The French version of the same preparation — dried and fresh Périgord cep (cèpe = porcini) combined in a risotto → Risotto aux cèpes de Périgord French
• The Veneto equivalent — the alpine Cansiglio plateau porcini are the Venetian answer to Casentino mushrooms → Risotto ai porcini di Cansiglio Venetian
• The cross-border Alpine porcini tradition — Steinpilz is the German name for porcini, same mushroom, same technique → Steinpilz-Risotto (porcini risotto in Tyrol) Austrian

Double porcini intensity — dried mushrooms in the stock, fresh slices in the final minutes — creating a risotto that captures both the deep earth notes and the raw forest perfume of autumn