Spring Risotto w/Asparagus and Lemon

I attended the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op’s free cooking school preview class and absolutely loved the Spring Risotto w/Asparagus and Lemon that Chef Dio prepared for the evening. It was very similar to the risotto that Chef Michael Tuohy prepared for us during the seasonal cooking class – minus the artichoke hearts and olive oil drizzle.

We had the opportunity to sign up for Spring classes and the co-op staff introduced Chef Dio and explained how the classes work. Some are hands-on classes, others are straight demo classes. The demo classes work best for me. I’m tired after a long day of work and I like knowing that I can just sit in class and listen to everything the chefs share with us. Sampling all of the delicious food is the best part.

The Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic – Chopped
1 Cup Arborio or Carnaroli Rice – Chef Dio used Lundberg Farms Arborio
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Lemon Zest
4-6 Cups Hot Chicken Stock – You could use veggie if you prefer a vegetarian dish
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper – To taste
2 Cups Blanched Asparagus – Sliced into 1 inch pieces on the diagonal
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano – Grated
1-2 Tablespoons Butter – Chef Dio just used 1 Tablespoon
Zest of one Lemon – In addition to the 1 Teaspoon used during the cooking process
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

Some carnaroli rice was passed around so we could see it up close.

The Directions:

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wide sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 10 seconds.
  • Add rice and 1 teaspoon zest for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine and evaporate liquid. Add 1 ladle of stock while stirring rice until almost all liquid is absorbed. Note: There is a lot of sodium in most stocks – even the low sodium stocks. Keep this in mind before seasoning with additional salt.
  • Continue adding stock in the same manner (1 ladle at a time) until rice is done (about 15-20 minutes). Stir in your blanched asparagus (place in boiling water for a minute and then ice water to cool) half way through the process. Rice will be tender and creamy with a slight crunch in the center. If your rice is mushy – it means you cooked it too long.
  • Remove from heat, stir in lemon zest and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add in cheese and butter and serve immediately.

I’ve found variations of this recipe online – some use thyme instead of parsley as a finisher – some use a little onion, but they are all basically the same. If you want to add mushrooms, you need to sauté them first and add them at the very end. Chef Dio also suggested using basil as an herb that goes well with asparagus or adding shrimp to the risotto as you put the last ladle of stock into the pan.

Chef Dio also talked a bit about Parmigiano-Reggiano and it’s history. Wikipedia offers up more than you ever wanted to know about Parmigiano-Reggiano. I find the history of certain foods to be fascinating.

Take aways from the evening…
#1 – I have been storing my cheese all wrong. Cheese needs to breathe and plastic wrap or sealed Ziploc® bags suffocate cheese. Use parchment or wax paper. Place your cheese cut side down and wrap. You can then store your cheese in a bag, you just shouldn’t seal the bag. I’ve heard of people rubbing the surfaces of cheese with olive or canola oil – but I think that would change the flavor. I never knew that I was suffocating my cheese. This now makes sense as to why the cheese I get at the deli wrapped in paper lasts longer than my other brick cheeses I seal into baggies.

#2 – A substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano is the younger aged Grana Padano cheeses. They are less crumbly, milder and less complex in flavor compared to their famous longer-aged relative. The Grana Padano is also cheaper, compared to the $18-$20 lb. price for the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

#3 – Asparagus will naturally snap at the tough part. Allow it to happen – your stems or stalks won’t be uniform in size if you leave them full length – but it will be worth it. You always want to try to go with the thinner stalks – they are the most tender. Chef Dio also showed us that you can slice the tops lengthwise in 1/2, so it looks like you have more “pretty asparagus” pieces in your risotto. Brilliant!

Anyway – this is why I enjoy taking classes at the co-op. Even though you might know some of the techniques or recipes – you always leave class with little tidbits of information. Love that!

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2 comments

    • Amy on April 7, 2011 at 6:41 am

    I love asparagus as you already know and this recipe sounds so good…I’ve never attempted making risotto but after seeing this…I think I will!

    Wow, uh oh…I’ve been suffocating my cheese as well, I guess 🙁 See, this is why I continue to read your food blog…I learn something all the time besides looking at your fabulous pictures and all 😉

    • Kristen on April 7, 2011 at 7:54 am

    Risotto is like mac and cheese and mashed potatoes….TOTAL COMFORT FOOD!!! I LOVED this risotto!!! The lemon zest gave it an AMAZING bright flavor!!! I can’t wait for our next class… 🙂

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