An Asparagus and Chicken Risotto is a great way to enjoy this lovely vegetable. The lemon gives it a delicious fresh flavour that goes so well with the strong taste of the asparagus.
Heat the butter or oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and raw chicken and fry gently for 5 minutes until the chicken is white on the outside. Keep stirring. (Add any cooked chicken at stage 4 with the stock).
10 g butter, 1 onions, 2 cloves garlic, 320 g chicken
In a separate pan, bring the stock to a simmer and blanch the asparagus stems for about 3 minutes, then remove to a plate. This way, some of the asparagus flavour goes into the stock which just adds to the flavour of the risotto.
1000 ml chicken stock, 300 g asparagus
Add the rice to the onions and chicken and coat in the butter/oil. Pour in the vermouth or white wine and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated. Almost all the alcohol will evaporate off at this point. I find this adds to the flavour of a risotto, but you can skip the alcohol if you wish.
350 g arborio rice, 150 ml vermouth or white wine
Add any cooked chicken with a little of the stock to the rice and keep stirring until it is all absorbed. Continue to add the stock a little at a time, stirring until it is all absorbed before adding more. The rice should then be soft but still slightly crunchy in the middle and the overall texture should be slightly looser than you want it.
Chop the asparagus stalks into small discs but keep the tips whole.
Take the risotto off the heat. Stir in the asparagus stalks, lemon juice, and most of the zest and parmesan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the risotto with a lid and leave to rest for 1 minute. Serve with the asparagus tips over the top.
1 lemons, 25 g Parmesan cheese, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Chicken - use raw chicken or you can use leftover cooked chicken from a roast.
Arborio Rice - is the most popular short-grain risotto rice and it's sometimes simply called Risotto Rice. Another variety is Carnaroli. It has a plumper larger grain and produces a nice creamy texture. You need to use risotto rice to get that nice creamy texture. Basmati or long-grain rice won't give the same results.
Asparagus - look for stalks that are plump and firm and the flowery heads should be tightly closed. You can buy different varieties and they may be purple, green or white.
White wine - adds flavour and acidity which helps balance out the creaminess. Use a basic dry white wine. I buy small bottles that I use for cooking. If you'd rather not use wine, you can leave it out.
Chicken Stock - use regular chicken stock or a low sodium version if you prefer.
Parmesan Cheese - this helps enhance the flavour and that lovely creamy texture.
Storage
A risotto is always best eaten fresh, but you can store it in the fridge for 1 - 2 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. The problem comes when trying to reheat it. The rice will continue to absorb the liquid so when you come to reheat it, you will need to add some more stock to loosen it. I find the best way to do this is in a pan whilst stirring it. Make sure the chicken is piping hot.