Spring Vegetable Risotto
Risotto is a magnificent canvas to showcase seasonal vegetables. We fully embraced the spring season and used leeks, asparagus, and broad beans to create this rich, yet delicate dish. If you can’t be bothered with fresh broad beans, (although we promise it will be worth it!) green peas are a great substitute. We love cooking risotto equally on a ‘school night’ and when having friends over (glass of wine in hand, chatting while stirring). Risotto is also a great last-minute dish that can wow with just a few pantry staples.
Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of asparagus, end stalk trimmed and chopped into (approximately) 2cm pieces on the diagonal
- 1 small leek (or ½ medium sized leek), white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh broad beans, removed from outer pod
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup parmesan or pecorino cheese, finely grated
- 1 ½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (there may be some leftover)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice plus finely chopped lemon zest for garnish
- 1 small bunch parsley (or other fresh fresh herbs), coarsely chopped for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
- Bring well salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Prepare a bowl with water and ice. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and put the asparagus immediately in the ice water. Once cooled, remove the asparagus from the water and set aside. Refill the ice water if ice has melted.
- Blanch the broad beans in the same cooking water for about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove beans and put immediately in the ice water. Once cool enough to touch, drain the beans. Remove the outer shell of each bean by using your thumb nail to open the top part of the shell where it is attached to the bean. Gently pop out the bean. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add shallot and stir for a few minutes until shallot softens. Add leek and stir for 2 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes to coat with olive oil and mix with shallot and leek.
- Add the wine, stir over medium heat until the wine has been absorbed. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan.
- Add stock ½ cup (or use a ladle) at a time. The stock should cover the rice and should be gently simmering. Stir continuously until the stock is absorbed and the rice is almost dry. Add another ½ cup or so and repeat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and creamy in texture. The rice should be a smidge over al dente (there should still be a slight bite to the rice).
- Add the asparagus and broad beans and gently fold until they are mixed in. Add the parmesan, butter and lemon juice and stir until incorporated.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add a couple of tablespoons of stock if the risotto appears dry. The texture should be creamy but not soupy.
- Garnish with lemon zest, parsley and freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!
Notes:
Risotto – risotto is a traditional Italian rice dish that is made from short-grain, starchy rice called Arborio or Carnaroli. The constant stirring of the rice as stock in incorporated and absorbs releases the starch from the rice to create a creamy and rich consistency. While it does require a bit of technique and time (you can’t just walk away and let this one simmer), risotto can also be quite forgiving and is incredibly versatile as it adapts fabulously to a range of different stocks, proteins and vegetables.
Best eaten right after it’s made, risotto also holds up well for a few days in the refrigerator. Leftover risotto is also perfect to roll into rice balls (arancini).
Blanching – we suggest blanching the vegetables so that they retain their vibrant colour, flavour and a slight crunch. Blanching also helps slow vitamin losses that occur during cooking! Blanching is a classic cooking technique that involves briefly cooking food in boiling water and then quickly cooling them by dunking in ice water to stop the cooking process. Through blanching, certain enzymes are blocked and the vegetables retain their nutrients, bright colour, texture and flavour.
Broad Beans – whenever we see fresh broad beans for the short time they are in season, we grab them in fistfuls. We simply can’t get enough of the fresh and creamy texture and they are a welcome addition to pasta and seafood dishes. Plus, they are high in protein and fibre! When using them fresh they do take a bit of time to process as they first need to be removed from their outer pod, blanched and then the outer bean shell removed. It can leave you wondering how so many pods can yield so few beans! But they sure are delicious and remind us of spring through and through.
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