Asparagus Dill Risotto with Egg Crumbles
Asparagus season can be frustrating: so many recipes, so little time. Here’s one that makes the cut every year without fail in my kitchen.
Ingredients
6 1/2 - 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 large hard-cooked eggs
2 Tbsp. sunflower seed oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb. fresh asparagus, chopped and blanched
or briefly steamed
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/3 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago
Salt and pepper
Directions
Bring stock to a simmer in saucepan; keep it hot.
Separate the whites from the yolks of the hard-cooked eggs. Finely chop the whites. Grate the yolks on a fine grater. Keep whites and yolks separate and set both aside.
Heat oil and butter in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium flame. Add onions; reduce heat a bit and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add rice and stir 2 to 3 minutes to completely coat rice in oil. Add wine; stir frequently and cook until nearly all the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add two ladlefuls of hot stock (enough to barely cover the rice); stir almost continuously until most of the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock a ladleful at a time; stir almost constantly, or very frequently, until each ladleful is nearly absorbed before adding the next.
Stir in the asparagus about ten minutes before the end of the cooking time. The rice is done when it’s creamy-tender, which will take 25 to 35 minutes. (Adjust heat if rice is absorbing liquid too quickly or slowly.)
When rice is done, fold in chopped egg whites, dill and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with grated egg yolks.
Suggestions
IS IT NECESSARY TO STIR RISOTTO CONSTANTLY?
Many recipes do call for continuous stirring, but you don't need to be relentless to get good results. Frequent stirring is required to liberate amylopectin, the molecules in short grain rice that gradually swell and combine with stock to make the signature, creamy sauce. But you can leave risotto alone for a few brief moments at a time, to go about other dinner-making business, and still get the preferred texture: creamy grains with a slight give at the center, suspended in a smooth, thickened sauce.
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