Asparagus Leek Risotto Recipes

ASPARAGUS-LEEK RISOTTO

Steps:

• Roast asparagus: place asparagus in a single layer on a baking s heet. Brush evenly with 1 T. olive oil; lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake, uncovered, in 450-degree oven about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool slightly. Cut two-thirds into 2-inch pieces; set aside all asparagus.
• While the asparagus is roasting, cook leeks in a large saucepan in 1 T. olive oil until tender. Stir in uncooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes or until rice begins to turn golden brown.
• In another saucepan bring broth to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer. Carefully stir 1 cup of hot broth into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Then add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring frequently until broth is absorbed before adding more broth (about 22 minutes in total).
• Stir in any remaining broth. Cook and stir just until rice is tender and creamy.
• Stir in asparagus pieces, cheese, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pepper. Top with asparagus spears and lemon slices.

WILD MUSHROOM AND ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• In an electric kettle or medium saucepan with a lid, combine chicken broth and white wine and heat just to simmering. Keep warm.
• In a large 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges. Be careful not to allow the grains or the onions to brown.
• Reduce the heat to low. Add enough of the wine and chicken stock just to cover the top of the rice. Stir or move the pan often, until the liquid is completely absorbed into rice. Once absorbed, add another amount of liquid just to cover the rice and continue stirring or moving as before. There should be just enough liquid left to repeat 1 more time. It should take approximately 35 to 40 minutes for all of the liquid to be absorbed. After the last addition of liquid has been mostly absorbed, add the mushrooms and asparagus and stir until risotto is creamy and asparagus is heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Taste and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• *Cook's Note: If fresh wild mushrooms are not available, reconstituted dried mushrooms can be used instead. Place 2 ounces of dried mushrooms into a bowl and cover with warm water. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes or until all the mushrooms are soft and pliable.

ASPARAGUS AND LEEK RISOTTO WITH PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Cook asparagus in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain.Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 30 minutes. Add asparagus and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in prosciutto, Parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

SEAFOOD RISOTTO WITH LEEK BROTH AND ASPARAGUS STEMS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and leek and cook until soft. Increase heat to high, add wine and cook until reduced. Add clam stock, bay leaf, parsley, and peppercorns and bring to a simmer, cook for 30 minutes. Hit with an immersion blender and strain into a clean pan. Bring to a simmer, add cream, cook for 1 minute, add fine herbs, and season with salt and pepper.
• For the Risotto: Heat the oil in medium saucepan, add onion and garlic, and cook until soft. Stir in arborio rice to coat. Add wine and cook until reduced. Add broth 2 cups at a time and cook until al dente. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pack into small ramekins and unmold onto a shallow bowl.
• Divide seafood and asparagus among the bowls around the risotto. Ladle broth over and garnish with fine herbs.

LEMON ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add asparagus, cover, and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• Heat chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat; keep at a simmer while preparing risotto.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and celery until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in garlic and arborio rice; cook and stir until rice is lightly toasted, about 5 more minutes.
• Pour white wine into rice mixture, stirring constantly, until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir chicken broth into rice, one ladleful at a time, allowing liquid to absorb completely before adding more while stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. Add asparagus and stir.
• Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS-AND-LEMON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in another saucepan. Cook onion, stirring frequently, until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add rice, cook, stirring, until edges are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring, just until evaporated.
• Add 1/2 cup hot stock; cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup stock in this manner until liquid is creamy and rice is al dente, about 20 minutes total (you may not need to add all the stock). Add asparagus with the last addition of stock, and the peas about 1 minute before risotto is done.
• Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and juice, parsley, cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with additional cheese and lemon zest.

LEEK & ASPARAGUS RISOTTO IN A PRESSURE COOKER

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, heat the olive oil and butter.
• Add the garlic and leeks, saute until soft.
• Add the rice, stir thoroughly and then add broth.
• Cover pressure cooker, and heat to high pressure.
• Once the pressure cooker gets to high pressure, lower to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
• While risotto cooks, steam asparagus in water.
• When risotto is done cooking, reduce pressure in preferred method, then add the sauteed asparagus, and Parmesan cheese.
• Serve immediately.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH CRISPY LEEKS AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put asparagus on a rimmed sheet pan and toss with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well coated.
• In a small bowl, stir together leeks, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle leeks on top of asparagus, then sprinkle with capers. Roast until asparagus are tender and golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes.
• While the asparagus stalks roast, make the mustard sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, capers and garlic. Slowly whisk in olive oil a few drops at a time to create a thick, emulsified dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Once asparagus stalks are out of the oven, squeeze a lemon wedge over it and sprinkle parsley on top. Serve with mustard sauce and more lemon wedges on the side.

LEMON RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan; turn off heat.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in another medium saucepan. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until edges of grains are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high. Add wine; cook, stirring constantly, until wine has completely evaporated.
• Add 1/2 cup stock; cook, stirring constantly, until stock has been completely absorbed and a wooden spoon drawn through rice leaves a trail in its wake. Continue adding about 4 more cups stock, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. (It should take about 13 minutes.)
• Stir in the asparagus. Add 1/2 to 1 cup more stock, in same manner as described above. About 1 minute before risotto is done, stir in the peas. Risotto is done when liquid looks creamy and grains are cooked but still slightly firm in centers. (The total cooking time will be 16 to 20 minutes.)
• Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup stock. (You may have stock left over.) Stir in zest, juice, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parsley, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more cheese.

CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Season the chunks of chicken in salt and pepper and fry in oil for 3-4 minutes, then add the asparagus for a further 1-2 until everything is cooked. Place on a piece of kitchen roll for later use. Bring the stock to a simmer on the stove.
• Melt a good knob of butter and oil in a wide, heavy based frying pan and fry the shallots and garlic until translucent (taking care not to burn the garlic). Add in the rice and stir until all coated in oil - cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the rice husks split, from this point on do not stir the rice any more.
• Add the wine and cook until all the alcohol has been burned off, then add a ladle of stock to the rice. Once it has all been absorbed add another ladle, repeating for approximately 20 minutes. There is no exact science to cooking risotto, so the best way to check is to taste it to make sure it is cooked to your liking. If it is too firm, simply add more stock.
• Put back in the chicken and asparagus and warm through for 2-3 minutes.
• To finish, stir another good knob of butter into the rice and a good amount of grated parmesan, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in deep bowls with some parmesan shavings on top.

ASPARAGUS LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute leeks and onion in butter until tender. Add the potatoes, carrots, salt, broth and rice. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir in asparagus. , Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the spinach, pepper and cream; heat through.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Snap the woody ends off the asparagus stalks and tip them into a saucepan with the stock. Put on a low heat to very gently simmer. Meanwhile, cut off the tips of the asparagus, add to the stock for exactly 1 min. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Finely slice the rest of the stalks into rounds.
• Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy, wide pan. Cook the onions gently for 5 mins until soft, stirring often. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and cook for 2 mins more. Add the rice and continously stir for a few minutes until it turns semi-transparent and makes a hissing sound.
• Stir in the wine, if using - it will evaporate almost immediately. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed, about 15 mins.
• Try the rice - it should feel just cooked with a slight bite to it. Stir in the asparagus tips and any last dregs of stock and cook for 1 or 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining butter and most of the parmesan. Season generously, cover and leave for a few minutes to settle.
• Give the risotto a thorough stir to incorporate the butter and cheese and serve straight away with the remaining parmesan for sprinkling over.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Place asparagus and leeks on an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over vegetables. , Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

RISOTTO WITH CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan, then keep warm over low heat.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cubed chicken, and continue cooking until firm and lightly browned; set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in the saucepan and cook onions until they soften and turn translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice, and continue cooking until the rice turns opaque, and the onion begins to brown.
• Stir in the wine and asparagus; cook, stirring constantly, until the wine evaporates. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in 1/3 of the hot chicken stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in another 1/3 of the chicken stock and continue cooking and stirring until absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Season the risotto with oregano and basil. Pour in the remaining stock, and stir until absorbed again, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan cheese and chicken cubes.

CAULIFLOWER AND LEEK RISOTTO

Steps:

• Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain. Blanch leek and cauliflower in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, 1 minute. Drain in a sieve and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain well.
• Bring stock and water to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and keep stock at a bare simmer, covered.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté cauliflower and leek, stirring, 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup simmering stock and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy looking, 20 to 25 minutes. (There may be leftover broth.)
• Remove from heat and stir in cheese, remaining tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with a little remaining stock as desired and serve immediately.
• *Available at Italian markets, some specialty foods shops, and www.esperya.com.

LEEK RISOTTO WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to a large, wide saucepan, and add the pancetta slices. (It's OK if they're not in one layer, as they will shrink quite a bit.) Turn heat to medium and cook, turning and rearranging the pancetta until lightly browned, crisp, and the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water to a separate medium saucepan. Transfer the saucepan to a back burner and bring to a simmer over low. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan that you cooked the pancetta in, and add the leeks, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, over medium-high until wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until nearly absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Add a ladleful of stock to the rice - you want just enough to barely cover the surface of the rice. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring very frequently, until it's nearly absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue adding stock in this way until rice is very creamy, but still al dente, 15 to 20 minutes total. You may not need all of the liquid, but you will probably use most of it.
• Stir in the butter and cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the snap peas. Add more of the remaining liquid if needed to loosen (it should be a bit soupy), and divide among four shallow bowls. Crumble the reserved pancetta over top, and sprinkle with chives, if desired.