Asparagus risotto
Ingredients:
- Rice (320 g)
- Green asparagus (500 g)
- Vegetable stock (1.2 L)
- Shallot (40 g)
- Butter (40 g)
- Parmesan (60 g)
- Salt
- Pepper
Method:
A risotto worth sitting down for
Asparagus brings a fresh, gently grassy flavour to a creamy pan of rice. Allow about 40 minutes. The stems flavour the risotto as it cooks, while the tips are added later so they keep their shape and still feel like asparagus when you bite into them. This recipe serves four. Set out the ingredients before you start and use Carnaroli or Arborio rice, without rinsing it: its starch is what makes the risotto creamy.
Before you start
Wash the asparagus and remove the woody ends; the 500 g is the weight before trimming. Cut off the top 4 cm as tips and slice the tender stems into small rounds. Keep the tips separate. Heat the stock, finely chop the shallot and grate the Parmesan.
Build the flavour
Melt 20 g butter in a wide pan and soften the shallot for five minutes without browning. Add the asparagus stem rounds and cook for two minutes. Add the rice and stir for a further two minutes until thoroughly hot.
Cook the rice
Add hot stock a ladle at a time, keeping the rice at a gentle, steady simmer. Stir regularly, sweeping the bottom of the pan, and add more liquid when the previous ladle is mostly absorbed, before the rice dries out. Start tasting after 15 minutes; most risotto rice needs 16–20 minutes from the first stock addition. It should be tender with a little resistance in the centre. You may not need all the stock; if it runs out, use hot water.
Add the reserved tips for the final five to seven minutes, depending on their thickness. Check one with the point of a knife: it should be tender, without collapsing. Fold them through gently so they remain intact.
Finish and serve
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 20 g cold butter and 60 g finely grated Parmesan until glossy.
Taste for salt and pepper, then leave to rest for two minutes. Loosen with a splash of hot liquid if needed: the risotto should spread gently across a warm plate when you tap it, rather than sit in a stiff mound. Bring everyone to the table before serving; this is a dish that rewards being eaten straight away.