Risotto with asparagus

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 500 g asparagus, green
• 1,200 ml water
• 10 g butter
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 300 g risotto rice
• 1 shallot(s)
• 150 ml white wine
• 30 g butter
• salt and pepper
• 40 g butter
• 80 g Parmesan

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

Risotto with green asparagus

Rinse the asparagus with cold water. Dry with kitchen paper. Remove the woody ends. Cut off the heads and set aside. Cut the remaining asparagus spears into pieces about 2 cm long. In a suitably large pot, bring the 1.2 l of water to a boil with the butter, salt, and sugar. Blanch the asparagus heads in it, i.e. let them boil for about 2 minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, refresh them in a bowl of ice-cold water. Remove the heads from the water and set aside until ready to use. Now add the asparagus pieces to the water and cook for about 15 minutes until tender. Not until al dente or anything, but until really soft. Using the slotted spoon, place the asparagus pieces in a blender and puree finely using a hand blender. We’ll need the water for the risotto, so it needs to be kept warm until just below boiling point. For the risotto, peel the shallot and dice very finely. Sauté the shallot in a suitable large saucepan with the butter over medium heat until translucent. Add the risotto rice without washing it and cook, stirring constantly, until it appears translucent. Deglaze with the white wine. Once the white wine has been completely absorbed by the rice, add 3 ladles of the asparagus stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this process 2-3 more times. It is important that the rice does not stick to the bottom, so keep stirring. Remove the pan from the heat, add the 40g butter and the asparagus puree, and stir in. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and carefully fold in the asparagus tips. Season the risotto with salt and pepper. The risotto should now be “allónda,” meaning it should be liquid like a wave, but not too liquid. Any other short grain rice is also suitable for risotto, including the so-called “rice pudding”.