Sophie Dahl's buckwheat and mushroom risotto recipe

Our buckwheat risotto is the perfect dish if you're looking for a vegetarian gluten-free mushroom dinner. Celebrity chef Sophie Dahl has produced a risotto recipe with buckwheat, as a great alternative to traditional rice for those who cannot eat gluten.

This cheesy mushroom risotto recipeis delicious and although it is technically not a risotto, it's just as tasty! Plus, it would feed a hungry family or a dinner party with equal success.

Using butter, white wine and mascarpone cheese, the flavours are delicious and rich but the buckwheat balances out how filling this recipe is, so it doesn't feel too unhealthy.

Ingredients

• 170g (1 cup) of buckwheat
• Salt and pepper
• 150g (2 cups of wild mushrooms)
• 2tbsp butter
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2tbsp of white wine
• 4tbsp of mascarpone cheese

Method

1. Cook the buckwheat for 40 mins in boiling salted water. Drain and put it aside. Wash and slice the mushrooms according to their size - the smaller ones you can leave whole, the bigger ones you may have to chop into chunks.
2. Heat 1tbsp of butter and 1tbsp of olive oil in a risotto pan or deep frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic and cook on low for about 4 mins. Season. Add your chopped mushrooms with about 1tbsp of white wine. Cover and continue to cook on a low heat for another 4 mins. Put the mixture in a warm dish and don't throw away the lovely juice.
3. Using your risotto pan again, put the buckwheat in with the rest of the oil and butter, the mascarpone cheese and the mushroom juice. Add another tbsp of wine and cook for 3 mins or so, giving it a gentle stir through at the beginning to mix everything together. Put into shallow bowls and pour the mushroom mixture over the top.