Creamy lemon risotto with grilled asparagus is the perfect meal to celebrate Spring, combining the comfort of winter with the brightness of spring. Delicious!
zest of 1-2 lemonsdepending on how lemony you want it
150mlwhite wine
1l-1.2l vegetable stockif you’re not vegetarian, you could use chicken stock
500gasparagusthoroughly washed and woody ends snapped off.
50gParmesangrated
2tablespoonsbuttercubed
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in a splash of oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds then add the rice.
Coat the rice in the oil then add the lemon zest and white wine.
Allow the wine to absorb into the rice then start adding the stock a little a time stirring to agitate the rice and allow it to release its starchy creaminess. The amount of stock needed varies as all rice absorbs liquid differently. You want the risotto to be creamy and ‘loose’. It shouldn’t be able to keep its shape and the rice should be al dente (soft and pleasant to eat but not mushy).
While the risotto is cooking, coat the asparagus in a little oil and grill on a hot griddle pan until charred. Slice the asparagus tips off and keep aside for topping the finished risotto. Chop the asparagus stems into small rounds and keep aside.
When the rice is cooked to your liking, add the chopped asparagus rounds, Parmesan, butter and lemon juice and stir in.
Season to taste then serve, topped with the charred asparagus tips.