Asparagus and Herb Risotto
Ingredients
500g asparagus spears
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
500g risotto rice (vialone nano, arborio or carnaroli)
1 ½ litres chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
salt (check the saltiness of the stock) and freshly ground black pepper
Description
This lovely creamy risotto represents to me the ultimate comfort food. To get the true flavour of asparagus, it is necessary to blanch it first and retain some of the water for the risotto. Blanch the asparagus tips separately and keep aside as they are tender and tend to disintegrate if stirred during the cooking process. They will also retain their bright green colour and can be used to garnish the risotto. The cheese and butter that are stirred in at the end of cooking process make the risotto rich and creamy.
Method
Trim the asparagus, cut off the tips and keep these aside. Bring salted water to the boil, chop the rest of the stalks into 3cm lengths and blanch for four to five minutes. Reserve the water and keep the tips aside separately.
Chop the onion and garlic finely while heating the oil in a large, wide saucepan or risotto pan. Add the onion and garlic, stir and cook gently until soft but not browned. Add the risotto rice and stir over a gentle heat for two to three minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the stock with a little of the asparagus water in a separate large pan.
Add the chopped asparagus (but not the tips) to the rice and continue to stir. Ladle in some of the stock and stir until it is absorbed. Continue to do this for about 18minutes, until the rice is firm but tender and most of the stock is absorbed. Beat in the butter, Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Reheat the asparagus tips. Serve in bowls with reheated asparagus tips as a garnish.
Categories
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