Risotto with green asparagus (cooking tips)

Risotto with green asparagus (cooking tips)

Category: Dishes from cereals and flour products

Kitchen: italian

Ingredients
Green asparagus	500 g
Arborio rice	300 g
Shallots (onions)	1 small onion
Butter	3 tbsp. l
White wine (dry or semi-dry)	125 ml
Salt	taste
Freshly ground black pepper	taste
Cheese	optional
Water	1 l

Cooking method

• Risotto is one of the most common Italian dishes, found alongside pizza in all parts of Italy.
• Those who see simple rice porridge in risotto (and I have met such more than once), simply did not try this delicious dish in the right way, because it has its own mandatory canons of preparation.
• I suggest that you familiarize yourself with these nuances by preparing "small rice" using the recipe of the book "PIZZA @PASTA" (Traditional and modern recipes).
• I will say right away that I managed to try various options for risotto in almost all regions of Italy, trying to choose not tourist places, but restaurants, trattorias for locals, after which it became clear to us that the taste of the dish depends solely on the decency and loyalty to the traditions of the restaurant owner and the cook, and not from the price tag and pretentiousness of the place !!! Because the risotto is based only on properly prepared special rice, fried onions (vegetables) and broth. All other additives such as cuts of meat, fish, lobster, wine, cheeses, spices, etc. only form the variety of recipes for this amazing dish.
• So, the recipe itself!
• (This description can serve as an algorithm for preparing risotto with zucchini, pumpkin, boiled beets).
• - Cut off the lower hard part of the asparagus and cut off the tops 5 cm long and set aside (they will be used later to decorate the finished dish).
• Finely chop the rest.
• 
• 
• - Prepare broth from one liter of water, one teaspoon of butter, one teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt.
• - In boiling broth, blanch the set asparagus tops for about five minutes until almost soft, remove them with a slotted spoon and immediately immerse in ice water to preserve their color and shape.
• - Boil finely chopped asparagus pieces until completely soft (10-15 minutes, depending on the quality of the asparagus) in the broth, in which the whole tops are blanched. (I immediately blasted and cooked all the parts, only took out the tops early)
• -Cooked small pieces of asparagus should be removed and mashed, which should be kept warm.
• - In the saucepan in which the risotto will be boiled, simmer the onion on one tablespoon of butter.
• - Put rice in a saucepan with onions, add white wine (125 ml) and boil until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
• - Then pour one third of the broth and evaporate again until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, just add the remaining broth in two steps. Achieve a state of rice in which it floats in a creamy broth and remains slightly hard in the middle, that is, aldente;) This will take about 15 minutes.
• - Remove the pan from heat, let it stand for a minute, add the asparagus puree, the remaining butter, pepper and salt to taste, stir and let it sit for another minute.
• 
• - Arrange in bowls and decorate with set tops on top. May be sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, Grano Padano or Cheddar cheese.
• P.S. As the saying goes, there is more to write than to do! But you need to do it slowly, thoughtfully observing the process so as not to digest the rice.That is, take into account the degree of boiling, the amount of liquid added, the degree of readiness of the rice.
• If there is no good wine at hand, then you can cook without it, given the amount of liquid in the recipe.
• To speed up the process, you can chop the asparagus (zucchini, pumpkin) very finely and add it immediately after frying the onion, then the risotto will turn out to be white with green (yellow, red) inclusions - the taste will practically not change!
• Let me note a few points, based on the advice from professionals and my modest experience, which will help to get a good result when preparing risotto :)
• - Use only rice varieties that are suitable for preparing risotto, which have the correct ratio of two types of starch in the composition of the rice grain - they create that indescribable creamy consistency during the cooking process around the rice grain itself, which retains some density inside, which is typical for a true risotto! This is Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialoni Nano. I will try to talk about their features in the next risotto recipe. But since for us the most accessible is Arborio rice, I will immediately note that this rice, due to the composition of the grain, requires almost immediate serving and special attention during the cooking process, since the standing rice can stick together, and the creamy structure of the environment around the rice can turn into a sticky mass.
• - Add all food warm during cooking, even the oil should be at room temperature.
• - Use only quality wine with your favorite aftertaste. Disposal of stale wine or one that does not suit your taste is a crime in the face of Italian cuisine and is punishable ... by not enjoying the dish !! The whole bouquet of wine goes into the finished dish, except for the evaporated alcohol.
• - After removing the risotto from the heat, let it stand for 1 minute, and then add chopped butter and finely grated grano cheese (ie parmesan, pecorino or grana padano, depending on the recipe) and then stir with a wooden spoon. This moment is very important and even has its own name - mantecatura;)
• -The use of olive oil in risotto is a controversial point, but if you have a desire to experiment, then add olive oil only during the initial sautéing of vegetables (onions), add only high-quality butter at the time of the mantekatura !!!
• - And also advice for the pioneers of Italian cuisine, so to speak, on the spot, in the Italian restaurants themselves. If you were brought a risotto five minutes after ordering, then feel free to give the dish back - this is a heated risotto! In small restaurants, risotto can often be ordered only for two at once, which is also quite understandable!
• Bon appetit and successful culinary experiences for everyone !!!

The dish is designed for

4 servings

Time for preparing:

30 minutes

Note

We met risottos of different consistency, both drier and wetter, I like the latter more;)
I tried to cook this risotto in a new multicooker with stirring and chopping functions, the result is very good. I will continue to practice cooking risotto in it, it turned out to be very convenient! The pictures show a portion for two.

Thank you! I will bookmark it and will definitely do it. Only I would prefer a little drier

[+ Gala +]

+ Gala +, I did not do it by hand, but in the device, I have to get used to it. I, in the recipes of which there is mashed potatoes from vegetables, I like less dry so that this environment is felt, but where the pieces are added, for example, porcini mushrooms, meat, it is drier. Thank you !

Thank you for such a master class! I like risotto and everything related to Italian cuisine, I myself will not decide to cook risotto at home, there is even arborio rice. Question - you don't need to wash rice, but if you wash it, dry it and use it like that?

[Ne_lipa]

Ne_lipa, no, you don't need to wash the rice, you won't get the desired velvety consistency, especially Arborio.
Thank you so much for your interest in the recipe! In fact, this is a very profitable and necessary dish when you urgently need to cook something from a minimum of products. A couple of shrimp, rice, onion and butter - that's risotto, and more complex ones can be cooked with experience, here the main thing is rice;)

[Rada-dms]

I tried to cook this risotto in a new multicooker with stirring and chopping functions, the result is very good.

Rada-dms, share what a miracle slow cooker?

[Ipatiya]

Ipatiya, https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/in...on=com_smf&topic=385998.0