Cooking For King Charles III - Wild Mushroom Risotto

I remember foraging for wild mushrooms with King Charles III and Antonio Carlucci on the 50,000 acre Balmoral estate. We came back and sautéed and froze enough wild mushrooms to last months for the royal table. In this video I am dehydrating wild mushrooms (they keep even longer) using the PARIS RHONE dehydrator and they have agreed to discount the price if you click on the link below and type in the code. I am also giving a dehydrator away on my Instagram page this week too.

Here is the discount code - but it's not available until 12/2/22 and only until 12/8/22 10FD001DM so watch the video of how to use it and then order on Friday.

Check out my Dallas Based Catering Company 'Eating Royally' for Your Next Event!

King Charles loves Italian food and I remember cooking this for him. Here's the recipe;

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Makes 4 portions
2 cups dried mushrooms
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh chopped fresh herbs

Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour two cups warm water over them rehydrate. Set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and the keep the liquid.

In a heavy-bottomed pot add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add 2 full ladles of the chicken broth mixture to the rice. Stir and simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the liquid from the mushrooms.
Continue to add more broth one ladle at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry before adding more. Add the wild mushrooms, Continue cooking until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, nutty in texture, about 20 minutes total.
When done, the risotto should be thick and creamy and not at all dry. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and sprinkle the chives on top before serving.

[valeriepalenkas]

What? Eating Royally here in Dallas?!! I'm so going to be a new patron!! Bringing my oldest who when she got married, hey bridal shower we had a proper tea party. I even purchased the Queen's Tea from England just for the event! I'm beyond excited!!!!

[francisslyker]

During WWII, my family had a large enough "victory garden" that they had a neighboring farmer plow it with a horse. The USDA published a booklet on how to dry vegetables in the sun. Maybe in Arizona, but the sun did not do it in Michigan! Dad made little wooden frames covered with cheese cloth that fit in Mother's oven rack. With very low heat, that dried things easily.

Later, when in my teens, I grew a lot of sweet corn. Mother did the same with it. Put in a regular fruit jar, it kept well into the winter. With no freezers back then, we thought dried corn was miles better than tin can corn!

[mrsmcdonald]

I'm not vegetarian, but I love a mostly meatless diet. This dish has the heartiness of meat from both mushrooms and rice. Yum!

[dianecosta]

When I lived in Italy I learned how to make risotto from the kind women of the village I lived in. We would pick mushrooms and go back and make the risotto after a few days. I have moved back to the US after my husband’s death. I have to thank you for bringing back memories of a wonderful time in my life. Guess who is making risotto this weekend? Happy Holidays, Darren!

[paulwagner]

I can smell the mushrooms through the screen. Wild is definitely the way to go for good mushroom flavor and aroma.

[jakewu]

Darren is back ! It’s nice to see an upload.

[ianmurphy]

So good to see you back again Darren. I've missed your stories and recipes

[The_Smith]

"I'll make you a porcini risotto!" "Now now you know I don't like that fancy food, I'll be happy with just some mushrooms and rice"

[ericcoleman]

Thank you thank you thank you. I was wondering when you were going to post another video. I wish you would post one every week. We love you chef.

[terryrogers-kulick]

Darren, I have watched and liked every episode you have ever done. This is by far my favorite. I am a harvester of wild choice edible fungi. Your dehydration method is spot on!

[sharktails]

you got a shout out on the crown when diana is cooking eggs she said that u left her notes :)

[merlinstwin]

Gorgeous recipe! I love the way almost any fresh vegetable from the garden or foraged like mushrooms can be added to a risotto, and is elevated by it.

[johnmahoney]

Love watching your videos and hearing about your royal escapades! Keep them coming…

[baronetessdawson]

Love Your Recipes Darling…& I find your stories as soothing as hunting for mushrooms. Thank You. Absolute Honor.

[gabitiegs]

Thank you for sharing your memories as well as your recipes. Greetings from Germany 🥰

[sallylewis]

Every recipe I’ve ever seen says you have to add BOILING HOT stock to the rice a 1/4 cup at a time. Chef Darren just proved them wrong. The risotto looked delicious!

[ChristineHK]

Wonderful! I am glad you did this video on dehydrating mushrooms! I love mushrooms.

[Luvtickt]

Risotto is one of my all time favorite dishes!!! Recently, I had Bison Risotto. I can't begin to tell you how good that was. It was a Bison tenderloin sliced over a Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto. I have GOT to try to make your risotto, and if it doesn't turn out, oh well, try - eat - try - eat until I get it right! Thank you for this!!!

[dqkrzct]

This was brilliant, Darren. What I love about italian cooking is how simple the recipes are. If you have and highlight the quality of the ingredients, the rest takes care of itself. Antonio Carluccio was a great chef, and that's pretty special you got to spend the day with Prince Charles exploring the estate for wild mushrooms. Something you never forget.

[mgparis]

Thank you Darren, you are an utter delight and *broken record* the cutest person on YouTube :D
(and I don't even cook, so that's how much I appreciate your channel)
PS - Ear-scratches to Winston