Risotto With Asparagus Fresh Fava Beans And Saffron Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Separate the white and green (light and dark) portions of the leek, and cut each in half lengthwise; rinse well to remove any soil. Roughly chop the green top, and set aside for the stock. Thinly slice the white portion into half circles, and set aside for the risotto. Cut the tops off the fennel, and roughly chop for the stock. Finely chop the fennel bulb, and set aside for the risotto.
• For the stock: Put the wine, leek greens, fennel tops, carrots, celery, garlic, orange peel, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and peppercorns in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 10 cups of water, and bring to a boil; reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook until the stock has reduced by about one third (7 to 8 cups), about 30 minutes. Strain, then use the back of a ladle to squeeze out any excess liquid from the vegetables; discard the vegetables, and keep the stock warm (or cool the stock and refrigerate for up to 3 days).
• For the risotto: Add a splash of water to the saffron in a small bowl, and set aside to bloom.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, chopped fennel and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until soft, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and cayenne, and stir for 1 minute. Add the rice, and stir until coated. Add the wine, and simmer, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the warm stock, the saffron and the blooming water to the rice. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 7 to 8 minutes. Add 3 more cups of stock, bring back to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is tender but slightly toothsome, 10 to 12 minutes more. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the tomatoes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in half the parsley and 3 tablespoons of the nutritional yeast, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency of the risotto by adding more of the stock as necessary. Pour into a serving dish, and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast.

Steps:

• Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Snap each stalk where it breaks naturally; reserve 4 of the peeled bottoms for crostini (below). Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and place the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes. (You should have about half the broth left.) Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the lettuce, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

Steps:

• Prepare the fava beans. Shell them while you bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop the beans into the water, and boil small favas for one minute, large favas for two minutes. Transfer at once to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain. Remove the skins, using your thumbnail to open up the skin at the spot where the bean attached to the pod, then gently squeezing out the bean.
• Pour the stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Add the asparagus, and blanch for three minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon or skimmer, refresh in a bowl of cold water, drain and set aside. Turn down the heat under the stock, and keep at a simmer with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan, and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic and the rice. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, about one to two minutes. Rub the saffron between your thumb and fingers, and stir into the rice.
• Add the wine, and stir over medium heat until it has been absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the simmering stock, two ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion - adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, then stirring - for 15 minutes. Then stir in the asparagus and the fava beans and another ladleful or two of stock. Continue adding stock and stirring the rice for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked al dente and the vegetables are tender. Add more stock to the rice, and stir in the Parmesan, pepper and chives. Remove from the heat. Taste and adjust salt. The rice should be creamy. Stir once and serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping in a mound.

Steps:

• Bring vegetable broth to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Add asparagus pieces and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer asparagus to bowl. Add white wine and saffron threads to vegetable broth and bring to simmer.
• Heat olive oil in another heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir until translucent, about 2 minutes. Mix in all but 1/4 cup broth mixture. Simmer rice uncovered until tender and creamy but still slightly firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Mix in peas, then asparagus and Parmesan cheese. Add remaining 1/4 cup broth if risotto seems dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Asparagus:.
• Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.
• Put Asparagus on foil lined, rimmed baking sheet.
• Toss with some of the oil.
• Salt and pepper spread out on sheet.
• Roast for 6 to 8 minutes.
• Cut roasted Asparagus into ½ inch pieces on bias, set aside.
• Rice:.
• In Medium pot Heat Stock to a simmer over high heat.
• When bubbles form reduce heat till barely bubbling.
• Add Saffron and stir every 5 minutes or so.
• In a large high sided sauté pan, sauté Onion for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add Garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
• Add Rice to pan stirring to keep it from sticking for 2 minutes.
• Add Wine to pan and stir until absorbed.
• Add one Cup of stock stir until absorbed then add another cup.
• Keep adding Stock one Cup at a time until you use all of it.
• This will take 20 to 30 minutes.
• The rice may not look done until most of the liquid is gone. The final product should be thick and creamy.
• Stir in Asparagus and Cheese and cook for a few minutes.
• Season with salt and Pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately.