Asparagus Risotto with Chef Dan of Nourish Cooking School

Dice onion. Then heat up a large pan on medium heat.

Meanwhile, rinse celery, carrots and asparagus. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot, test with a small piece of onion, if it bubbles, add the rest of the onion. Let the onions cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dice celery and carrots. De-stem parsley and chop roughly. Once the onions have cooked for 5 minutes add the celery and carrots, cook for about 3 minutes.

Add stock to a medium pot and heat to a gentle simmer. Heat up BBQ or a grill pan to medium for the asparagus.

Add the rice to the pan with the onions, celery and carrots, turn the heat up to high.

Add one ladle of stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the temperature to low and set a timer to 15 minutes.

Continue to add stock one ladle at a time, stirring occasionally until about half the stock has absorbed. Then add another ladle. Don’t rush this as you want the risotto to cook slowly and gently, but always maintain a simmer. Continue to stir the risotto occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan or get too dry.

Meanwhile, grill asparagus on a BBQ or grill pan for about 2 minutes per side dry. Once cooked, cut into 1 inch pieces and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Separate tops and leave to the side.

After 15 minutes taste the rice to make sure it is al dente (a very slight bite but not hard) or to your desired texture.

Once cooked, turn off the heat. Add the asparagus (saving the tops) and 2 tbsp of butter.

Add the zest and juice of two lemons directly into the pan. Add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Mix well, and taste. Adjust the salt and lemon if needed.

Garnish with asparagus tops, grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and parsley.