Ingredients :
1.5 l (48 fl oz) 6 cups Chicken Stock (or vegetable stock)
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
0.5 tbsp of olive oil
0.25 tsp ground saffron
1 onion, chopped
545 g/17.5 ozs/2.5 cups Arborio rice
5 or 6 whole mushroom peeled and thinly sliced
5-6 spears of asparagus washed and chopped thinly
half a courgette, cleaned thickly sliced and then chopped
160 ml/7 fl oz Dry White wine (Personally I use a third of a bottle)
220g/7 ozs freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (pre grated in a packet is fine)
salt and pepper
Preparation :
- Prepare the stock and simmer in a small saucepan (I use stockpots with boiling water from the kettle, mixed together and then transferred to a saucepan on and simmer on stove)
- melt the butter and add the olive oil in a heavy large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and sauce, stirring frequently until translucent, about 8 mins
- Add the rice and stir until white spot appears in the centre of the grains, about 1 minute. Add wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 2-3 minutes
- Adding the stock (0.3 of a cup at a time, stirring continuously) add the ground saffron Only add the next 0.3 cup of stock once the last has mostly been absorbed. (Do not let the rice go dry) Add maybe 0.3 of the stock then add the mushrooms
- Keep adding the stock a little at a time and stirring the rice.
- After around 20-25 minutes, add the chopped asparagus
- The rice will take a good 30 minutes to absorb the liquid but taste test the rice, if still too al dente, keep adding stock (or water if stock all gone)
- When you have a few cups of stock still left, add the chopped courgette
- When rice is the right texture, add the parmesan cheese and stir.
- Add pepper to taste and a knob of butter, which stir in
- Serve and enjoy
This is my take on Asparagus and courgette risotto. It works for us and although you have to be patient with the process of adding slowly and continuously stirring, I think the end product is very much worth it.
Please enjoy and do let me know what you think