Adapted from MOB Kitchen by Ben Lebus, Pavilion £14.99
- Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 120ml of boiling water.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add a finely chopped brown onion and cook until soft. Add sliced chestnut mushrooms and cook until they are lightly browned.
- Add the orzo pasta and stir it around so it is covered with the butter.
- Add the stock cube to a measuring jug and 675 ml hot water. Stir and allow the cube to dissolve.
- Add the stock and the water from the porcini mushrooms (but not the mushrooms themselves yet). Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. This should take 12 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick before the pasta is done, add a little more water.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan. Chop up your soaked porcini mushrooms and stir these in. Add both a handful of chopped parsley and chopped tarragon (reserving some whole leaves of both to garnish) and stir through the dish. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the risotto into wide bowls and sprinkle with leftover herbage and some extra Parmesan.