Based on a recipe from Jamie Magazine — but easier. Excellent served hot or cold with cranberry sauce.
Risotto: 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 each: celery stalks, small red onions, garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup each? Arborio rice, white wine
2 cups hot vegetable stock
Nut mixture: 2 tablespoons olive oil
200g brown mushrooms, sliced
70g each: pistachio nuts, blanched almonds, lightly toasted and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup lightly packed grated tasty cheddar cheese
1-2 red chillies, seeded and diced
finely grated rind 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon each: chopped rosemary, sage, thyme
To make the risotto, soak the porcini mushrooms in 1/2 a cup of boiling water for 20 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan. Gently sauté the celery, onion and garlic, until very soft. Stir in the rice. Increase the heat. Add the wine and stir until absorbed by the rice.
Drain the porcini, finely chop and add to the pan. Add the hot stock, a ladle at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20cm loaf pan and line the base with baking paper.
To prepare the nut mixture, heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Sauté the brown mushrooms until just starting to crisp. Add to the risotto together with all the other ingredients.
Spoon into the loaf pan and pack down gently. Cover with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes. The mixture should be lightly set. Stand for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serves 6-8.