Wild Mushroom Risotto with Egg

• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic, plus 2 cloves smashed garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups Vialone Nano rice (or another Italian medium-grain rice)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves, plus 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
• 2 egg yolks
• Preserved black truffles 
• 4 cups mixed seasonal wild mushrooms

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the chicken stock over medium-low heat. Once the stock is hot, add the dried porcini mushrooms and steep them in the stock for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove porcinis and reserve.

In a 4-quart saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch kosher salt and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. (Note: take the pan off the heat if the garlic starts to brown.) Add 1 tablespoon butter, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are very tender, about 5 minutes. 

Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to toast it lightly. Increase the heat to medium, add the wine, and cook until most of the wine is gone.

Add 1 cup chicken stock and cook, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed and evaporated. Add another 1 cup of stock and increase the heat so that there is a fair amount of bubble on the surface. (This agitation helps release the starch as the rice cooks and will make your risotto creamy.) Add another 1 cup or so of stock and continue to cook, stirring frequently. Add more stock as needed and keep stirring. To see if it’s time to add more liquid, drag the spoon through the rice—if the liquid doesn’t immediately fill in the space, it’s time to add more. With the third addition of stock, add the chopped thyme leaves. Continue cooking, adding broth as necessary, until the risotto looks creamy but the rice is still al dente, about 18 minutes. 

Take the risotto off the heat. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, the cheese, and the truffles and stir. In a small bowl, stir the egg yolks well, then add them to the risotto and mix until well combined.

Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron pan until it’s smoking. Add enough mushrooms, including the rehydrated porcinis, to just cover the pan. Drizzle the mushrooms with the remaining olive oil and cook hard and fast for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms start to become tender. Right at the end, toss in the thyme sprigs and smashed garlic cloves and season with salt. If needed, repeat this process, making sure to keep the cooked mushrooms warm.

To serve, reserve a few cooked mushrooms for garnish. Fold the rest of the mushrooms into the risotto at the last minute and top with the reserved mushrooms.