Asparagus & Roast Tomato Risotto

The week before pay day always reminds me of cooking during my degree - I had no money but I still wanted to eat something filling and half decent so I would cook risotto. Risotto is very versatile allowing the star of the dish being anything I had left over from when I was more liberal with my food shopping. While having roots from a more deprived time for me, this risotto is nothing but a treat with asparagus and mascarpone!

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  What you need:

  • Two large handfuls of Arborio rice
  • 600 ml chicken stock / vegetable stock
  • 1 onion
  • 2 small carrots
  • 2 celery sticks 
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 50 g of butter
  • 6 medium tomatoes
  • A splash of red wine vinegar 
  • A bunch of asparagus 
  • 1 lemon 
  • Finely grated Parmesan 
  • 1 tbsp of mascarpone

  
  

  How to make it:

  1. Start by taking your asparagus spear and snapping it by holding the tip and end, flexing the spear. Where the spear snaps indicates the “good” bit (the bit you want to eat, and the woody bit that’s too tough and makes for bad eating). Throw the woody stalks into a sauce pan. We’re not finished with the asparagus yet - trim the spears to a point where it snapped and keep the trimmings.
  2. Very finely dice the same quantity of celery, onion and carrot, fry the veg in the butter over a low heat for 15-20 minutes, not forgetting to season the vegetables for faster cellular break down i.e. faster cooking. Fry the veg in a largish sauce pan.
  3. 5 minutes before the veg is finished frying add finely chopped garlic, and within a separate sauce pan sauté off the asparagus’ woody stems in butter. Then add the stock and heat it up until simmering.
  4. While the vegetables are sautéing off, quarter your tomatoes and put them in a deep sided roasting tray.  Pour a splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar over the tomatoes, then season with s (salt) and p (pepper). Roast the tomatoes for 20 - 30 minutes in a 180 ^oC oven until they start to take on a dark colour.
  5. Now that the veg is cooked add the rice and crank up the temperature on the hob, constantly stirring the rice. Fry the rice for 1-2 mins over the medium heat.  Add a ladle full of the hot stock and stir it into the rice! When the liquid has been adsorbed by the rice - this takes one or two minutes -add another ladle full of the asparagus infused stock.  Repeat this process until all the stock has gone and the rice is soft. If you need more water add it - you will lose water while the stock is simmering. In order to get a creamy risotto you must continually stir it!!
  6. While adding stock to the rice take your asparagus spears, pour a splash of olive oil on them, season and grate some lemon zest over them.  Griddle until they start to take on colour and then remove from the heat.
  7. It’s time to finish the risotto by stirring in the mascarpone, ¾ of the tomatoes and juice, and some of the peas.  The risotto should be lose in texture and flow like lava.  
  8. When serving, the risotto should fall in on itself (DO NOT USE A METAL RING TO SHAPE!). Place a couple of the left over roast tomatoes on top and some of the asparagus spears.  Finish by grating parmesan on top.

  -I am aware that the Italians among you will not approve of the mascarpone as it’s not very traditional, but it does add to the creaminess of the dish-