Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

• 500 g asparagus
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 70 g butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 320 g arborio rice
• 120 ml dry white wine
• 70 g parmesan, grated
• zest of 1 lemon
• a few mint leaves, shredded

Method

1. Use the whole spear

   Snap the woody ends off and simmer them in the stock for 15 minutes, then strain them out. Those ends are too fibrous to eat but they carry plenty of flavour, and this is the difference between asparagus risotto and rice with asparagus in it.

   15 min

2. Start the rice

   Cook the shallots gently in half the butter without colouring, then add the rice and toast for two minutes until the edges turn glassy.

   10 min

3. Wine, then stock

   Add the wine and let it cook away, then the asparagus stock a ladle at a time, stirring steadily.

   15 min

4. Stalks before tips

   Cut the spears into short lengths, keeping the tips separate. Add the stalks about 8 minutes from the end and the tips in the last 3. Tips cook in a fraction of the time and go grey and limp if they go in with the rest.

   8 min

5. Check the bite

   At around 18 minutes the rice should be tender with a faint firm centre, and the asparagus still bright green.

6. Finish

   Off the heat, beat in the remaining butter and the parmesan, then the lemon zest and mint. Cover and rest two minutes before serving.

   2 min