Simple but Not Boring - Asparagus Risotto

Man oh man, I got tested positive for COVID-19 few weeks ago. The first two days was dreadful. My body was feeling cold and burning at the same time, not mentioning nausea, coughing, itchy throat, and more.

Glad I feel much better now, despite some light symptoms just won't go away. So this recipe is some sort of post-COVID energy boost. How so? The risotto is easy to consume, think of it as a congee but with bouncier bite from the rice. And the grains fully absorbed the nutritious stock. The risotto might look simple, but for sure the taste is the opposite, and definitely packed with all the good stuff that a weak body needs. 

Asparagus risotto - 

Ingredients (about 4 portions)?

• 40 green asparagus
• 1/2 small red onion (shallots even better)
• 2 cups Acquerello or arborio rice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cups vegetable or light chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup grated aged Parmigiano Reggiano
• Some salt

How?

Peel and finely chop half of the red onion, shallots even better. Grate the cheese and set aside for later use.

See if the asparagus needs a trimming to remove tougher parts. If so, snap off the very bottom ends and shave some green outer parts off. Cut the prepped asparagus into shorter sections.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add in asparagus and cook for couple minutes. Drain and set aside.

Pick out about 12 tips for garnish in the end. As for the remaining asparagus, wait till they are cool enough then transfer to a food processor to blend till almost purée-like.

Use a pan, or per my case, a Dutch oven. Add in 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Switch to medium heat. Once the butter starts to melt, add in chopped red onion and sear for about one minute.

Add Italian short grain rice and give it a quick stir, make sure all the grains are coated with some butter.

Pour in 1/2 cup of dry white wine and mix till evenly distributed.

Pour in some stock. I started off with 2 cups then gradually adding more stock along the way. Keep adding the stock and mix together with the grains once a while till the risotto almost reaches desired consistency. To me, the grains should be slightly gooey on the outside but still remain that al dente bite in the center. I ended up using 4 cups of stock.

Blend in half of the asparagus purée. Mix till evenly blended.

Mix the other half of the asparagus purée plus 1 more tablespoon of unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of grated aged cheese. Toss till evenly mixed.

Plate and garnish the risotto with the asparagus tips we saved earlier.

I know it's better to finish all the risotto right after, but I happened to have some leftover. Believe it or not, the risotto still tastes pretty delicious after a day or two. 

The way I reheat the risotto is by steaming it, which will not dry out the food. If microwaved, the result might not be the same.