Wild mushroom and taleggio risotto cake

This wild mushroom and taleggio risotto cake is easy but looks impressive and serves a crowd.

Ingredients

olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
350g risotto rice
1 litre vegetable stock, hot
200g wild mushrooms
25g butter, plus a knob
5 sprigs thyme
85g parmesan or grana padano (or veggie alternative), grated
150g ricotta
2 eggs, beaten with a fork
85g taleggio or vegetarian alternative, thinly sliced

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions and garlic gently until well softened. Stir in the rice for a minute, then start stirring in the stock, a ladleful at a time, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Keep cooking and adding stock for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Spread over a tray to cool and firm a little.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Lightly butter a 22cm deep-sided tin with a loose base. Tip the mushrooms into the cleaned-out frying pan with the butter and thyme leaves from 2 sprigs, and fry until golden and tender. Scrape the cooled rice into a mixing bowl with most of the mushrooms, all the parmesan, ricotta and eggs, add plenty of seasoning and mix well.
3. Tip the rice mix into the tin and press out firmly to smooth the top. Scatter over the remaining mushrooms, taleggio and thyme sprigs and press in so everything sticks together, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp on top. Cool for 20 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve with salad.