Spring Vegetable Risotto Recipes

Steps:

• Tip the rice into a pan of boiling, lightly salted water. Boil gently for 6 minutes then drain in a sieve. There should still be a white core in the centre of the grains. Spread the part-cooked rice on a clean tray, cool, then chill until you are ready to finish the risotto. If covered with cling film, the rice can be kept for up to 24 hours. Shave about 25g off the parmesan wedge and set aside for later. Finely grate the rest and save for use in Step 8.
• Blanch the broad beans for 1 minute in boiling water then drain and rinse them in a colander under cold water. Using your fingers, pop each bean from its skin. (Thawed frozen beans can be popped without blanching.)
• Trim the asparagus and cut the spears at an angle into lozenge shapes. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a large pan, add 1 tsp of sea salt, then the asparagus, shelled peas and beans. Return to a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, put lots of ice cubes into a large bowl half filled with cold water.
• Drain the vegetables in a colander set over a bowl to catch and save the cooking water, then tip them straight into the bowl of iced water. When cold, drain again and set aside.
• Pour the saved vegetable water into a pan and whisk in the stock powder. When ready to finish the risotto, bring the stock to the boil and keep it on a simmer.
• In another large pan, gently sauté the shallot, spring onions and garlic in the 2 tablespoons of oil and half the butter for 3-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the wine and cook until reduced by half.
• Tip in the rice. Now add a ladle of boiling stock and stir until it is absorbed. Add the remaining stock, a ladle at a time, stirring until absorbed before you add more. This takes about 8 minutes, by which time the mixture should be slightly sloppy, not dry. You may not need all the stock. The rice is cooked when it is just softened and has a nice shiny glaze. Remove the garlic clove.
• Gently stir in the vegetables and remaining chives and return to a gentle simmer, adding a little extra stock if needed. Stir in the last of the butter, the grated parmesan and the mascarpone. Check the seasoning. Divide immediately between four warmed shallow bowls, drizzle over a little oil and scatter the parmesan shavings onto each serving.

Steps:

• Cut asparagus just below the tips, then on an angle at 1/4-inch intervals, discarding the woody part at the bottom. Set aside.
• Bring water to a simmer and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Keep on a low simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, add another 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat and let brown slightly until nutty. Add the shallot to the pot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir so that it is coated with the butter and glossy, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the vermouth and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it is absorbed by the rice. Add the thyme springs. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of the simmering water and stir constantly, until the rice again absorbs the liquid, adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue ladling in about 1/2 cup of water at a time, stirring between additions and letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more.
• When rice has absorbed about half the water (about 10 minutes into cooking process), stir in lemon zest. Continue stirring and adding water, 5 minutes more. Add asparagus. When rice is tender but al dente, after 20 or so minutes of cooking time, stop adding water. Vigorously beat in the remaining butter and cheese. Add the mushrooms, peas and lemon juice and stir just until heated through. Remove from heat. Let risotto rest for a minute or so before serving. Divide among 4 warm bowls, grind a generous amount of pepper over each, and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until crisp-tender, 10-12 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-in. pieces; set aside., In a large saucepan, bring stock to a simmer; keep hot. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add spinach and salt; cook and stir until tender. Remove spinach and keep warm. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter. Add leek; cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes. Add rice, garlic and remaining 2 tablespoons butter; cook and stir until rice is coated, 1-2 minutes., Stir in wine and lemon juice. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook and stir until wine is absorbed. Add hot stock, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until stock has been absorbed after each addition, until rice is tender but firm to the bite, and risotto is creamy. Stir in ham, zest, asparagus and spinach; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately, with additional cheese if desired.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add asparagus; sprinkle with salt & pepper.
• Saute until asparagus begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan over low heat. Cover; keep warm.
• Heat remaining 3 tbsp olive oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat.
• Add leeks and garlic.
• Saute until leeks begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add rice, stir until rice is translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium.
• Add 1/2 cup broth; stir until liquid is absorbed.
• Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding next 1/2 cup, until there is only 1 cup broth remaining.
• Add cheese, peas and remaining broth.
• Simmer until vegetables are just tender and risotto is creamy.
• Season with salt & pepper.
• ENJOY!

Steps:

• Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under a steady stream of cool water, stirring the grains. When the water runs clear, stop rinsing and shake the sieve to drain off excess water.
• Coat the inside of a medium rice cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Set the rice cooker to the regular cycle or to quick cook if it's a fuzzy-logic machine. Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter; add the garlic, leek, spinach, and fennel; and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the leek is softened. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken broth and stir to distribute the ingredients.
• Cover the rice cooker and reset to the regular cycle. Set a timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, stir in the fava beans and peas. Cover and allow to steam for an additional 5 minutes on the keep-warm setting or with the machine turned off. (Many rice cookers, including all fuzzy-logic machines, do this automatically.) Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter and the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large frying pan, soften the onion with the carrots in one tablespoon butter. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the rice is well coated with butter and starts to turn opaque. Add the saffron and wine and stir thoroughly.
• Add a cup of hot chicken stock and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Add one-half cup more stock and continue cooking, stirring frequently.
• Add the fava beans and asparagus and another cup of stock. Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is al dente. It is done when it is firm but tender and creamy. The vegetables should be barely tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the cheese and remaining butter. Serve immediately.