Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons dried morel mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, divided
  • 1 large leek, finely chopped
  • 1 (9 ounce) package mixed mushrooms, sliced (shiitake, chanterelle, portobello, oyster)
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 1/4 cups vegetable stock, or to taste
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 (16 ounce) package Arborio rice
  • 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 1 (6 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or as needed
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 (8 ounce) package panko bread crumbs
  • oil for frying

Method

  • 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.