1 litre/4¼ cups chicken or vegetable stock
150g/5½oz asparagus, woody ends snapped off for the stock
1tbsp butter
1tbsp olive oil
2 banana shallots, thinly sliced
150g/scant ¾ cup Arborio rice
100ml/scant ½ cup vermouth
60g/¾ cup grated Parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Leaves from 6 sprigs thyme
20 mint leaves, chopped
Salt and black pepper
A few fennel or dill fronds, optional
It’s rare that I do anything to asparagus beyond balancing it over a pot of simmering water while I’m cooking a couple of eggs below. However, it is lovely in this risotto; thrown in at the last moment, so it still has a bite, and hasn’t cooked down to mush.
Serves 2
1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan, and add the ends of the asparagus. Warm the butter and oil in a wide pan, and add the sliced shallots. Fry over a low heat for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the rice, and stir through the shallots for a couple of minutes. Pour over the vermouth, and allow it to bubble for a minute. Ladle a splash of the hot stock into the rice, and stir. Once the rice has soaked it up, add a splash more. Continue adding stock, stirring regularly (but not continuously – don’t worry if you need to tackle a couple of other jobs while it’s cooking) until the rice is close to cooked – it should still have a slight bite.
3. Slice the asparagus into 3cm/1¼in lengths. Fold through the rice. Add a little more stock, and stir for a final couple of minutes. Add the Parmesan, and turn off the heat.
4. Stir in the lemon zest, and the herbs. Taste and season. Spoon into bowls, top with fennel fronds (or dill, if you don’t have any to hand), and squeeze some lemon juice over the top. Serve with more Parmesan.