VEGETARIAN FEAST | 1, 2, 3, 4

ROASTED WILD MUSHROOMS IN RED-WINE REDUCTION

Serves 8 to 10 (main course)
Active time: 45 minutes
Start to finish: 2 1/4 hours

If you can't find fresh porcini mushrooms, buy whole frozen ones, defrost them in the fridge, and drain them on paper towels. Then roast them, uncovered, until tender and golden brown (and for about half the time as the fresh ones). As a last resort, other exotic fresh mushrooms mixed with reconstituted dried porcini would provide the body and flavor the dish needs. (Avoid dried porcini that are broken up.) Pair this dish with a few risotto cakes to make a main course.

3 lb fresh porcini (also known as cèpes) or 3 lb other exotic mushrooms and 2 oz large dried porcini slices
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 lb assorted pearl onions, blanched and peeled
2 cups red-wine reduction (recipe follows)

If using dried porcini, soak in boiling, hot water to cover until soft, about 45 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and discard soaking liquid. Rinse in a sieve to remove any grit and pat dry. Halve larger slices.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

If using fresh porcini, halve or quarter larger ones, keeping smaller ones whole, and transfer all to a baking pan. Toss all mushrooms with onion wedges, garlic, thyme, wine, 3 tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss pearl onions with remaining tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow baking pan.

Roast mushroom mixture, covered with foil, in upper third of oven and pearl onions, uncovered, in lower third, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until pearl onions are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Remove pearl onions from oven.

Uncover mushroom mixture and stir in 1/2 cup red-wine reduction. Continue roasting mixture in middle of oven, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Stir in pearl onions and roast until hot, about 10 minutes more. Heat remaining red-wine reduction.

Season mushrooms and onions with salt and pepper. Drizzle with some red-wine reduction and serve the rest on the side.

COOKS' NOTES: Mushrooms and onions may be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Reheat before serving.

RED-WINE REDUCTION

Makes 2 cups
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours

1 large onion, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 (750 ml) bottles dry red wine (4 1/2 cups)
1 (750-ml) bottle Ruby Port wine (3 cups)

Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in oil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add wines and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 1 quart, about 1 hour.

Pour through a sieve into a saucepan and simmer until reduced to 2 cups. Reheat reduction and season with salt and pepper before using.

COOKS' NOTES: Reduction may be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Reheat before using.

MAKE WILD-RICE RISOTTO:
Bring water with salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan, then simmer wild rice, covered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let rice stand in cooking liquid, uncovered, 30 minutes. Drain rice in a sieve set over a saucepan and reserve rice. Add vegetable stock to cooking liquid and bring to a simmer. Keep liquid hot, covered, over low heat.

Heat butter and oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sage, stirring, 1 minute. Add onions and sauté, stirring, until softened. Stir in celery with salt to taste and sauté, stirring, until onions begin to turn golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Stir in Arborio rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add wine, thyme, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, and simmering, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender but still al dente and creamy-looking and liquid is absorbed, 20 to 22 minutes. Toward end of cooking, stir in wild rice.

Remove pot from heat and stir in Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cool risotto and chill, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 12. Bring risotto to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

MAKE RISOTTO CAKES:
Lightly beat yolks and stir into risotto. Beat whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir half of whites into risotto to lighten slightly and fold in remaining whites. Let batter stand at room temperature 15 minutes before proceeding.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Scoop 4 (rounded 1/4-cup) mounds of batter into skillet, flattening with back of a spoon to form cakes 3 inches across by 1/2 inch thick. Cook cakes until golden brown on underside (this is critical to prevent cakes from breaking when turning), adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 5 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over with a metal spatula and cook until golden brown on underside, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer as browned to a large shallow baking pan and arrange in one layer. Make more cakes in same manner, wiping skillet clean with paper towels between batches and adding more oil as necessary.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Just before serving, bake risotto cakes until sizzling, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

CRANBERRY GINGER SAUCE

Makes about 4 1/2 cups
Active time: 30 minutes
Start to finish: 2 1/2 hours

Use firm, dense apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Pippin, which will hold their shape when cooked. Fresh ginger gives this sauce its gentle bite - don't substitute the ground kind

1 1/2 lb fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 1/4 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest

Stir together all ingredients in a non-reactive 4- to 5-quart deep heavy pot and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil sauce (adjust heat if sauce spits too much), stirring frequently, 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Cool about 30 minutes and chill at least 1 1/2 hours.

COOKS' NOTES: Sauce may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.

JICAMA AND CILANTRO RELISH

Makes about 6 cups
Active time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 2 1/4 hours

1 cup tender fresh cilantro sprigs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 large fresh jalapeño, seeded and finely choped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 lb jicama, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pulse cilantro, mint, jalapeño, sugar, and 3 tablespoons lime juice in a food processor until cilantro is finely chopped. Add half of jicama and pulse until jicama is very coarsely chopped (you want a chunky, crunchy slaw, not a purée). Transfer relish to a bowl.

Pulse remaining jicama in food processor in same manner and add to relish with salt and lime juice to taste. Chill relish well, about 2 hours.

COOKS' NOTES: Taste jalapeño before adding it, to control the amount of heat.

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