Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Make the most of the asparagus season with this delicious creamy risotto. Enjoy on its own or pair with sea bass for an elegant dinner. Add the zest and juice of a lemon at the end of cooking to serve with fish.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-35 minutes

• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 2 packs of asparagus (approximately 500g)
• 50g butter
• 4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 300g Arborio rice
• 200ml dry white wine
• 150g frozen peas
• 50g grated parmesan cheese

1. Pour the vegetable stock into a large saucepan and set over a low heat.
2. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus between finger and thumb and add to the stock.
3. Finely chop the remaining asparagus stalks but set the tips aside for later.
4. Melt the butter in a large sauteuse pan over a low heat. Add the shallots and chopped asparagus stalks and cook for 10 minutes until soft.
5. Stir in the rice ensuring all the grains are well coated with the butter and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add a small volume of white wine at a time and stir until it’s been absorbed by the rice. Continue until all the wine has been added.
7. Now add a ladleful of hot stock. Stir until the stock has been fully absorbed before adding the next. Continue adding the stock a ladleful at a time and keep stirring until the risotto has a creamy consistency and all the stock has been used. The rice should be soft but retain a little bite - ‘al dente’. If further cooking is needed, just add a little more stock.
8. Add the peas and asparagus tips for the final 5 minutes of cooking.
9. Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and serve immediately.