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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Spring Risotto: with English Peas, Asparagus, and Spring Onion


I wait every single spring for the last few years for these three ingredients: asparagus at its peek, English peas, and spring onion. I'm obsessed with all of them. Asparagus so flavorful and bright green, English peas so sweet and delightfully crunchy, and spring onion that only for a couple of months borders itself on a garlic-scallion hybrid that's insanely good and packs so much flavor.

My all time favorite spring dish to make is this risotto, using my favorite things. It's beautiful with the bright pops of green and the creamy and velvety risotto that's simply To. Die. For. This is gorgeous on its own for a meal, but you can certainly add your favorite protein for a more substantial dinner. An oven-roasted chicken breast sliced on top would be outstanding. I may have to make that next now! Enjoy!

Spring Risotto with English Peas, Asparagus, and Spring Onion
4 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, very finley chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup cooked english peas
3 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and stalks sliced on the bias very, very thinly
1-2 spring onion, cleaned and trimmed then sliced very thinly
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the vegetable broth in a small saucepan with lid on, over low heat. You want the broth to be warm but not boiling away violenty.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper to taste, and saute on medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the rice and mix to combine. Add the white wine -- careful, it will bubble up violently for a second! -- and mix to incorporate. Cook until the rice absorbs all the wine, then begin ladling in the hot broth a ladle at a time (about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup). Add the broth, then cook until rice absorbs the liquid, then add more broth. Keep doing this, adding the broth slowly as the rice absorbs the liquid -- this is how you'll achieve that desired creamy texture and a perfectly plumped rice!

Once you've finished with all the broth, taste the risotto and make sure it's nice and tender and perfectly seasoned. Adjust as necessary. Add the peas, asparagus, and spring onion and fold in. Cook another minute or two, then add the parmesan cheese. Turn the heat off and mix the cheese in to combine.

Serve immediately, piping hot.

1 comment:

  1. This looks absolutely heavenly and is such a change from my typical "wintry" risotto (beef broth; mushrooms). YUM!

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