Asparagus-Lime Risotto

Risotto with asparagus and lime; inspired by a recipe of Daniel Boulud

Ingredients:

• 1 pack fresh asparagus stalks (choose the freshest young stalks)
• 2 medium sized limes
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 kg (ca. 1lb) Arborio rice
• 1 litre (ca. 32 fl oz.) Vegtable Stock
• 4 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 sprig Fresh Rosemary (can be omitted; avoid using dried)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese
• 2 tbs butter or crème fraîche (optional)
• 1/2 ts Salt (or to taste)

Procedure:

Wash the limes, dry them and grate the zest. Squeeze the juice from the limes and add the zest. You should have about 1/3 cup juice. Keep aside.

Trim the top 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) from the aparagus stalks and keep aside. If the asparagus stalks are thick, you may need to peel the lower portions of the stalks. Chop the stalks int 2cm (1 in) pieces.

Peel the onion and slice it lengthwise into thin(-ish) slivers. Heat the oil (gently to preserve the flavour), add the onions and cook, strirring gently, until just translucent (about 3-4 mins). Add the rice and and continue stirring until the rice has acquired a "fried" appearance (about 5 mins).

Add 1 cup of stock, and the lime juice. If you have a sprig of fresh Rosmary, ad it now. Stir occasionally until the liquid has almost completely absorbed, then add 1 more cup of stock. Continue stirring and adding more stock when the liquid gets absorbed until there is only one cup of stock remaining. Test the rice by biting into a grain with your teeth. It should be almost cooked.

Add the remaining cup of stock and fold in the reserved arparagus tips carefully to avoid damaging them. Stir very carefully until the rice is just barely firm to the bite (al dente). Fold in the grated cheese. For extra creaminess, add 2 tbs butter or crème fraîche. Taste and add salt to taste. Serve immediately. Offer freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and black pepper to the guests.

Variant 1 (especially suitable for starters):

Blanche the reserved asparagus tips before starting to prepare the risotto. Allow to cool and keep aside. At the point where the recipe would add the tips to the cooking risotto, Melt a little butter (1/2 tbs) in a small sauté pan. Toss the asparagus tips in the buutter and heat until they are jusr warmed through.

Serve the risotto in heated soup bowls and garnish the portions with the sautéd asparagus tips.

Variant 2:

Substitute the Parmigiano Reggiano with Pecorino Romano. This cheese is made from sheeps milk and has a higher salt content than Parmigiano Reggiano so reduce the salt accordingly.

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Derived from a recipe by Daniel Boulud

Makes 4 main-course or 6 starter servings