Pea, White Wine and Asparagus Risotto

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Pure Perfection

It felt like a dream... There are some foods that make you feel like you’re floating on big white fluffy cloud, high above all the mumbo jumbo on planet earth. You feel untouchable. Every bite is toe curling, soul warming and irresistibly delicious that you can’t help but think of the next mouthful before your current one has passed. 

If you have experienced this, then you have been lucky. If you haven't then you are in for a treat with this Pea, White Asparagus and White wine risotto. It may contain a lot of white and only a small pop of green, but what did your parents teach you at school? Never judge a book by its cover.

Risotto is often placed into that “this is too hard” recipe folder because of the way many describe it’s process of cooking. If you’re anything like me who loves to cook but when it becomes a 10+ step process, there is no desire to complete such a endless task - this risotto will be a game changer and a show stopper for everyone including yourself. 

Simple ingredients. Simple steps. Limitless tastes and flavours. What more could you need in a sexy dish like this?

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Pea, White Wine and White Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients

  • 300 grams arborio rice

  • 200ml white wine

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 1 garlic clove, diced

  • 1 tbsp butter

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1.7 L vegetable stock or water

  • 6-8 stalks of white asparagus, skin peeled and chopped in 4

  • 150 grams of frozen peas

  • 2 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary and sage

  • 50grams freshly grated parmesan

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Method

In a large pot and on high heat, place the onion with butter and oil. Cook until translucent. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, herbs, asparagus and rice. Cook this for a further 2-3 minutes or rice begins the change from a solid white to more translucent.

Add wine and cook alcohol off, normally this takes 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot stock, stirring the rice until fully absorbed at which point you add another cup. Repeat process until you have about 500mL of stock to go - add peas.

Continue with the absorption of the stock. Taste for salt and a bite in the rice (al-dente). Once the rice is at al-dente, add parmesan. Cook for a further minute or until it begins to thicken. Serve hot with fresh parsley, extra parmesan and your preferred glass of wine.

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Cecile Vadas