spring risotto

In the Revolution cocotte, bring the vegetable broth to a boil over moderate heat. Blanch the asparagus in the broth for 7 minutes, drain (reserving the hot broth), and immediately plunge into ice water. Discard the water and quickly wipe the cocotte dry. Sweat the shallots and finely chopped green pepper in the peanut oil, add the rice, and stir well to coat each grain.
Deglaze the pot with wine and add the hot vegetable stock, ladle by ladle, as the rice absorbs it. Continue to cook the risotto over medium heat for 18 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the peas with the last ladleful of broth.
When the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan cheese, stirring thoroughly. Cover and let stand one minute before serving the luscious risotto topped with the warmed asparagus.

TIPS
It’s important to stir vigorously when adding the Parmesan to make the risotto lighter and creamier.
To use leftover risotto, form it into walnut-sized balls and brown for 12 minutes in the oven at 200°C/400°F; serve with a green salad.