Recipe: Risotto with green asparagus

1 Heat the stock. Meanwhile, sweat the onion in the oil without browning, add the rice, coat it well with fat to toast it lightly, then deglaze with the white wine. Let it reduce almost completely fairly briskly to evaporate the alcohol from the wine, then add 1/3 of the stock. Let it be slowly absorbed by the rice, covered and stirring with a spatula.

2 Gently sauté, without fully cooking (1 minute), the asparagus tips in butter, without browning or shrivelling, and set aside. If your asparagus is fairly thick, blanch it for 2 minutes in boiling water and drain it on a cloth.

3 When the first 1/3 of the stock is almost absorbed, add a second third and the asparagus batons. Cover and let cook.

4 Now the stock is almost absorbed again. Taste the rice to check its cooking point, then add the amount of stock needed so that the rice is almost completely cooked (it should remain creamy and tender) by the time all the liquid is absorbed. Only experience and good knowledge of your rice will allow you to judge the amount of stock needed at the end.

5 When the cooking is almost complete, sprinkle the parmesan over the rice, dot with spoonfuls of mascarpone, add the pepper, cover and immediately remove from heat.

6 Meanwhile, warm the asparagus tips very gently.

7 After 1 or 2 minutes covered, uncover and stir vigorously (« mantecare ») the rice and cheeses with a wooden spatula, arrange the asparagus tips attractively, a few parmesan shavings and a few truffle sticks if you have them (entirely optional of course, but it's great with asparagus and parmesan !). Serve and enjoy !