The best risotto I ever tasted was a fish risotto on an island in a Venetian lagoon. It was intense, moist, with just enough liquid to cradle the tiny morsels of cuttlefish, clams and langoustines in the folds of the rice. You get the picture!
Risotto is easy to make but it is one of the dishes that the more care you take the better it is.
There is a bit of prep to make the stock, or you can use a vegetable stock cube instead. Prepare the asparagus by breaking it in two where is snaps naturally. Use the bottom parts for the stock. Put a washed, carrot, shallot, white of a leek, the broken bottoms of the asparagus spears and a handful of fresh parsley in a litre of cold water. Add a few pepper corns, a teaspoon of sea salt and simmer gently for half an hour. Allow to cool and drain.
ASPARAGUS AND PEA RISOTTO WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA
12 spears asparagus
100g unsalted butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
250g risotto rice, arborio or carnaroli
100ml dry white wine
2 fresh bay leaves
About 1litre vegetable stock (plus the asparagus water to make about 1.5 litres altogether)
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
100g cubed smoked mozzarella or scamorza
Trim the asparagus spears and cut into bite sized pieces.
Add them to a half litre of salted boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain the water into the vegetable stock and warm it all in a pot.
Refresh the par-cooked asparagus in cold water and set aside.
Now start the risotto.
Melt the butter and oil in a wide shallow saucepan.
Add the chopped shallots and cook slowly until softened.
Raise the heat, stir in the rice and cook for 10 minutes until it is dry and toasted.
Add the white wine and stir; leaving the heat on high until all the liquid is absorbed.
Lower the heat and add the fresh bay leaves.
Begin to add the warm stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring to incorporate it into the risotto.
Keep doing this until all the stock has been absorbed.
In the last 5 minutes add the asparagus and peas. When it is ready, the rice should be creamy on the outside with still a bite from the chalky, white core.
Take the risotto off the heat.
Stir in the parmesan, butter and the cubed smoked cheese.
Add the fresh basil leaves, a squeeze of lemon juice and the zest of the lemon.
Check seasoning and serve.
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