WILD GARLIC BUTTER RISOTTO WITH GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS
Risotto and homemade pasta are two things I love to use as a canvas to showcase the first of a new season’s produce and in this instance, the celebratory ingredients are spring’s premium greens: wild garlic and asparagus. I’ve given a generous portion here but do scale up for a crowd.
SERVES 4 (with enough leftovers for arancini) or 6 (with little to no leftovers)
RISOTTO BASE
Olive oil, plus extra to finish
2 onions or 3 leeks (whites and light green), finely chopped
300g risotto rice
A wine glass of white wine (optional but adds heaps of flavour)
1.5 ltr stock (chicken or veg for a classic risotto), simmering
Half of the wild garlic purée (below), more or less, to taste
1 lemon, zest and a squeeze of juice, to finish
WILD GARLIC PURÉE
300g wild garlic (you can pad it out with baby leaf spinach, if needed)
100g salted butter
GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS
400g asparagus
1 Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and gently cook until the onion is glossy and tender.
2 Tip in the rice and let it crackle and pop for a few minutes. Pour in the wine and let the rice guzzle it up.
3 Add a crack of black pepper and cook for a min or 2 before adding the first ladle of stock.
4 Set a timer for 20 mins. Lower heat to a simmer and add the stock to the rice, little by little, until the timer goes.
5 While it cooks, make the wild garlic purée. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Plunge the wild garlic in the water then drain immediately and rinse under really cold water to cool down. Squeeze out excess water, roughly chop and blend with the butter to make a smooth purée – add a little lemon juice and/or more, butter, if needed. Season to taste and set aside.
6 Once the risotto has had 20 mins, take off the heat and griddle your asparagus. Set a large frying pan over a high heat. Snap the woody ends off the asparagus (save them for the Asparagus stalk arrabbiata). Rinse the asparagus then add to the smoking hot pan while it still has a little water clinging to it. Season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 mins, turning once or twice, until just tender and slightly charred. Season well.
7 Place the risotto back on the heat just to warm through. Fold in the wild garlic purée. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add a bit more stock, if needed. You want the risotto to have a creamy texture and not be too thick.
8 Scoop the risotto onto warm plates and top with the griddled asparagus, a drizzle of olive oil, grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.