Best Wild Mushroom Balls Recipes

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO BALLS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak porcini in warm water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove, squeeze gently, and chop coarsely. Set water and mushrooms aside.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, saute garlic and shallot in 1 tablespoon olive oil until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn heat up to medium and add white mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add half the porcini.
• In another saucepan, bring stock to a low simmer and keep it there.
• Add rice and remaining olive oil to mushroom mixture and stir until all grains are well coated. Pour in wine, stirring constantly. Cook until rice absorbs most of the wine. Repeat with mushroom liquid.
• Add 1 cup stock, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Cook until most of the stock is absorbed. Repeat with as much of remaining stock as needed, adding cup by cup. Start testing for doneness after third or fourth cup; rice should be al dente, with a creamy consistency but a little drier than a regular risotto so the balls hold together. The process should take 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in remaining porcini.
• Season with salt and pepper, and stir in butter and Parmesan. Spread in a baking pan to cool. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Cut Fontina into tiny cubes, smaller than 1/4 inch. With moist hands (keep a bowl of warm water close by), press a cube of cheese into center of about 1 tablespoon of rice. Enclose cheese in rice and roll with both hands until ball becomes compact and round. The risotto balls can be made 1 or 2 days ahead up to this point; refrigerate, covered.
• On the day of the party, dredge risotto balls in flour. Deep-fry in vegetable oil at 375 degrees until crisp and brown on the outside. Serve immediately, or keep at room temperature and reheat in a 375-degree oven until hot. Roll in chopped fresh parsley if desired.

WILD MUSHROOM BALLS

Steps:

• Soak dried morel and porcini mushrooms in a bowl with 2 cups water.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mixed sliced mushrooms and cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer leek mixture to a bowl.
• Heat vegetable stock in a saucepan to a low simmer.
• Wipe the skillet used for the leek mixture and return to medium heat. Add remaining butter, onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring to coat all the grains, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the re-hydrated mushrooms from the bowl and pour the liquid into the rice. Bring to a boil, stirring until all liquid has been absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop mushrooms and add to rice. Add the heated stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring until almost completely absorbed after each addition, about 20 minutes total.
• Stir leek mixture, mascarpone cheese, 3/4 of the Parmesan cheese, and jerk seasoning in with the rice. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle, at least 30 minutes.
• Season flour with salt and pepper and spread mixture over a plate.
• Whisk eggs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Mix remaining Parmesan cheese with panko in a dish.
• Form small balls of risotto using a small ice cream scoop or by hand. Dust with flour, coat with egg, and roll in the panko mixture. Place on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Cool in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Heat oil in a saucepan. Fry mushroom balls in batches, turning halfway until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch.