Prep: 10min
Cooking: 18 - 20min depending on the rice
Serves: 2
Difficulty: medium
On Sunday I went to the Farmer’s market here in Angel and I found some beautiful British Asparagus, I bought them and I called my mum right away to refresh my memory on the risotto with asparagus she makes, no butter needed!
Mamma Flora’s Tip: Use Carnaroli rice for making risotto, its grains are higher in starch content resulting in a creamy consistency and a firmer texture.
Don’t be afraid of the stirring, feel the rice and take care of it. Stirring is essential, it knocks the grains of rice together, which lose the starch making the texture slikier.
Ingredients:
- 16 asparagus
- 6 fists of rice
- 4 extra virgin olive oil tablespoons
- 4 peppercorns
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stem
- ½ carrot
- ½ glass of white wine
- 50gr grated parmesan
- salt
Tools:
- 2 pots
- 1 pan
- a ladle
- a wooden spoon
Method:
- Let’s prepare the broth by filling a small pot with water and add the peeled carrot, celery and ½ onion. Add 3-4 peppercorns and boil it for at least 10-15min before starting the risotto, add salt per taste, continue to boil at low heat while cooking the risotto. We will use the broth to cook the rice
- Wash the asparagus and cut away the hard part you find at the end of the stem, then cut the rest in small pieces. Keep a couple of whole spears
- In a pan pour 2 olive oil tablespoons, gently heat it and add the asparagus cut earlier
- Cook the asparagus for 5 min and put aside, we will use some of the spears to decorate the dish
- Cut 1/2 an onion in small pieces and place it in a pot with 2 olive oil tablespoons at very low heat, stir it often and make sure they don’t become brown (for 7-8min)
- Set the heat to medium and add the rice, toast it for 4-5 min, stir it often
- Set the heat to high and add the wine, make sure it evaporates, continue to stir for 2min
- Set the heat to low-medium and as soon as the rice becomes dryer, add the first ladle of broth, don’t forget to stir. The rice will slowly absorb it
- Every time you see that the rice is getting dry, add a ladle of broth. Continue almost until the end of the cooking. If you need to top up some water in the broth, make sure it is warm, you can use the kettle
- Taste the rice after 15min of cooking and and estimate how much longer it should cook for. You want it to be al dente but not raw and remember the rice continues cooking after you turned the heat off. (It usually takes 18-20 min but check the suggested cooking time on the package)
- 5 min before the rice is ready, add the asparagus and stir it. Taste it and season to taste
- Finish the cooking and place the pot far from the heat. Add the parmesan and stir it
- Let it rest for 2-3min before serving, enjoy this healthy yet delicious risotto
