Risotto Full of Fungi

      Here's another use for oyster mushrooms, although maitake, chanterelles, morels or  any other high quality mushroom could be used. This is based on a recipe from epicurious.com with a few changes made. It's a pretty straight-forward dish with minimal ingredients. I cut the amount of butter with some olive oil and used some of the maitake stock I had from the fall that was saved in frozen cubes. Using just chicken stock would be fine as well. It's topped with truffle salt, which is really just a wonderful thing. I'm sure fresh Oregon or European truffles would make this risotto a legendary experience.
     Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh wild mushrooms(such as oyster, cèpe [porcini], hen of the woods, chanterelle, or stemmed shiitake); large mushrooms sliced, small mushrooms halved or quartered
• 6 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup mushroom stock
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots diced
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice (8 to 9 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving (optional)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

    Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Sauté mushrooms until tender and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to medium bowl. Working in 3 more batches, repeat with 6 tablespoons butter/oil, remaining mushrooms, and salt and pepper.
    Bring chicken broth and mushroom broth to simmer together in medium saucepan; keep warm. 
Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallot, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until tender, 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn. 
   Add rice, garlic and thyme and increase heat to medium. Stir until edges of rice begin to look translucent, 3 minutes. 
   Add white wine and vermouth and stir until liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. 
   Add 3/4 cup warm chicken broth; stir until almost all broth is absorbed, about 1 minute. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is halfway cooked, about 10 minutes. 
   Stir in sautéed mushrooms. Continue adding broth by 3/4 cupfuls, stirring until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, about 10 minutes. 
   Stir in 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, if using. Transfer risotto to serving bowl. Sprinkle truffle salt over top. Pass additional Parmesan cheese alongside, if desired. Flavor infused olive oils (such as rosemary, garlic or lemon) work well drizzled on top as well.