Asparagus risotto with pan roasted tomatoes

File under: Take One Ingredient: Asparagus 

OK, OK, I know.  "Pan roasted" - what guff.  I'll try to get a 'drizzle' in by the end of the post, but first the risotto.

To me, an asparagus risotto is a once-in-a-season treat.  While most recipes call for a plain risotto made with good stock and poached asparagus stirred in near the end, mine is quite different.  Based on a recipe I remember reading but no longer have (from Alistair Little's excellent Keep It Simple: Fresh Look at Classic Cooking), this is a different approach.

Firstly, the asparagus is cooked in with the risotto from the start - this allows it to melt into the rice creating something with terrific depth of flavour.  Secondly, the stock itself is deeply scented with asparagus.  The result is something creamy and pretty damned etherial.

For the stock, I recommend a good slightly gelatinous chicken stock (I've taken to enriching mine with a pig's trotter - recipe to follow one of these days) plus asparagus stock.  Let me explain:  As previously mentioned, I have been saving my asparagus peelings all season in a bag in the freezer.  These get cooked down in the stock to add buckets of flavour.  In addition, I experimented with freezing some water in which I had previously cooked asparagus - this was added to the chicken stock.

One thing to be aware of is that your stock might be relatively salty - bear this in mind when seasoning. 

Asparagus risotto leftovers (if you can believe in the existence of such a thing) make pretty good arancini too - see below. 

Asparagus risotto - serves 4*
1 pint good chicken stock
1 pint asparagus cooking water (or vegetable stock, or indeed more chicken stock)
Trimmings from several bunches of asparagus - mine weighed in at around 12 ounces
2oz butter
1tbsp olive oil
1 small onion - very finely diced
1 bunch of asparagus - tips reserved, stalks very finely sliced
8oz arborio rice
1 small glass white wine or vermouth
1oz freshly grated parmesan

Mix the stocks in a large pan and add the asparagus trimmings.  Bring to a simmer and allow to cook covered until the asparagus is completely cooked through - 20 minutes or more.  Strain the stock and return to a simmer.  

In the usual risotto manner, melt half the butter and the oil together over a gentle heat.  Sweat the onions and the sliced asparagus together until soft.  Turn the heat up a little and add the rice.  When the rice is coated in the oil and butter and starts to gently 'ping' off the side of the pan, add the wine and allow to absorb.  Season.

Meanwhile, poach the asparagus tips in the stock for a minute or two until cooked al-dente.  Drain and refresh in cold water.  Put to one side. 

Now start adding the stock to the rice ladle by ladle until the rice is cooked, stirring all the time.  When the rice is all but cooked and the asparagus practically melted into it, add a last ladle of stock, the parmesan and the butter, cover, remove from the heat and allow to stand for five minutes.  

Refresh the asparagus tips in hot water or any remaining stock for a moment and serve on top of the rice.

Pan Roasted Tomatoes
4 vines of cherry tomatoes - around six fruits per vine should do it
1tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs thyme
1tbsp balsamic vinegar

Put the olive oil, tomatoes and thyme in the pan over a low heat, season and cover.  Cook gently for 15-20 minutes, very carefully shaking the pan from time to time - don't allow the tomatoes to burst or break if you can help it.  Lift the tomotoes out of the pan, turn up the heat and deglaze with the vinegar.  Pour over the tomatoes.  Or you could 'drizzle' the dressing over if you choose...

* The asparagus risotto recipe makes enough for four portions - so that could serve two of you tonight and leave enough to make arancini tomorrow: 

Arancini

Please see the arancini recipe for the basic details.  This time around, I sliced some pork sausage into small rounds, fried them off with a pinch of chilli flakes and a teaspoon or so of fennel seeds.  The arancini were then stuffed with the sausage and little cubes of mozzarella before frying.  I served these with a herby tomato salad.

tags: asparagus  rice  risotto  

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