LocalHarvest

Having always been a fan of asparagus, I was happy to accept a portion of “picked today” asparagus from Barrie Brother’s Asparagus Farm and got to work thinking of what I could create with it.

I decided on one of my favourite recipes, lemon asparagus risotto. As soon as I began I noticed the difference between using this fresh asparagus and what I had been using in the past - I didn’t have to do any extra prep work with the asparagus, I just threw the ingredients together and enjoyed the flavours.

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

Asparagus

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and pepper

Risotto

• 1 litre chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 little onion, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup risotto
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Zest of one lemon
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Asparagus

1. Cut off the asparagus tops and reserve. Chop the stems into pieces, discarding the woody bits. (If the stems are really thick and tough looking, peel them first.) Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan. Add the stem pieces and cook five minutes. Add the garlic and the asparagus tips. Pour over 1/4 cup/60 ml water, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the asparagus. (If you like, you can add a sprig of rosemary to the dish with the garlic and tips, then remove it at the end).

Risotto

1. Bring the stock to a simmer and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion and shallot until soft, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the rice and stir until translucent, about four minutes. Stir in the wine and reduce until almost dry. Add a ladle of stock and cook, stirring, until it disappears. Continue, a ladle at a time, until the rice is tender and creamy, about half an hour.
2. Remove from the heat and stir through the asparagus, remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon zest, and half the cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon into bowls and scatter over the remaining cheese to serve.