Pea + Porcini Risotto with Browned Butter

Yes, you've come to the right place. I've really wanted to share a few luxurious savory dishes for a while now. One of the reasons that I do not is that I rarely use measurements when making dinner. I was taught to cook using approximations, and we did not even have measuring cups or spoons in the house. In Indian cooking, the cook's skill is thought not to rely on recipes, but on in their hands, their hearts, and their heads. To be a good cook, good instinct and experience is thought to be needed. Rather than receiving your mother or grandmother's recipes, one is taught to cook by observation and with years of practice. Most importantly, a person with a kind heart, a generous spirit, with love for both cooking and for those they are cooking for, is the better cook.
For me, I feel like there is so much left to learn in my cooking journey. As someone who cooks, I feel it is important to keep experimenting, to learn new things, to explore. Risotto is a fairly new dish for me. I began making it last winter. I made a cool weather version with Indian-spiced cauliflower, pan roasted with garam masala, and served with those almost-burnt onions found in Indian rice dishes. This spring, I just knew I had to use peas. I've fallen for fresh shelled sugar snaps in a big way. I love the burst of sweet flavor in the fresh ones. Since peas are so delicate, I tried to keep the risotto light as well.
Although risotto's creaminess comes from the building up the starches in the rice, I find that most recipes include generous amounts of butter and cheese. With this recipe, I tried to reduce the amounts of both but to keep it feeling and tasting just as decadent and delicious. The onions are sauteed in a combination of olive oil and a little butter for scent, and the amount of cheese is reduced. The risotto is topped off with luxuriously browned butter, which has more 'oomph' than regular butter. And adding the 'fat' in at the last minute means you can get away with using less of it.  The rice base is creamy and rich, the porcinis add heartiness, the bright green of peas and the tart acidic wine (or you can use a smaller amount of lemon juice) balances the richness...and the gorgeous brown butter adds an nutty, almost caramelized note. With this risotto, I still felt like I was eating something sinful.

Pea + Porcini Risotto:
2 3/4 cups broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb (or 1 - 1.25) cup canaroli or arborio rice, unwashed
1/2 cup dry white wine (use a few tablespoons of lemon juice or good-quality vinegar if avoiding alcohol)
1/2 ounce dried porcini, reconstituted at least 1/4 cup hot water (reserve water)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shaved
1 cup fresh (or frozen) peas
1/2 tbsp white wine (or substitute 1 tsp lemon juice if avoiding alcohol)
 chives, sea salt, pepper
Porcini
For the porcini, reconstitute for at least five minutes in very hot water (just under boiling temperature). Reserve at least 1/4 cup water. Dice porcini into 1/2 inch pieces.
Risotto
Bring the water from the reconstituted porcini, broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat a heavy pot over medium heat, then add the olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter. When butter had melted completely, add onion and saute until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic, saute for another minutes. Add rice and cook, constantly stirring. Add the white wine and cook until it has almost absorbed, there should be a small amount of liquid left (about 2 tbsp)
Start by adding 1/2 cup of the broth-water mixture. Cook and constantly stir at a simmer, until absorbed. Continue this process for approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is al dente, with a slight chewiness in the center. Prior to removing from heat, stir in porcini, salt, pepper. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Allow risotto to cool for a few minutes, stir in cooked peas.
Peas and Browned Butter
While making the risotto, place a medium saucepan of water to boil. When boiling, add about 1 teaspoon of salt, and shelled peas. Cover, allow peas to cook for one and half minutes. Remove from heat immediately, place in colander, and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
To brown butter, place in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until is deeply browned and smell nutty. Remove from heat, add white wine or lemon.
To serve:
Serve with additional salt, pepper, freshly snipped chives, and browned butter.