La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

Croatia shares some similarities with Italian cuisine, and risotto is common around the coast.
Ingredients

100 g unsalted butter, chopped1 onion, thinly sliced3 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 cm pieces750 ml (3 cups) hot good-quality vegetable stock60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil200 g (1 cup) carnaroli* or arborio rice60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine50 g (⅔ cup) grated parmesan100 g Maffra cheese*, thinly sliced

 

Preparation
Melt 50 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add half the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add two-thirds of the asparagus and 125 ml stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Process in a food processor until smooth.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining onion and cook for 3 minutes or until softened. Add rice and cook for a further 2 minutes or until it starts to stick to the base of the pan. Add wine and cook for 2 minutes or until almost evaporated. Add remaining 625 ml stock, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes or until stock is almost absorbed and rice is al dente.

Uncover, increase heat to high, add asparagus purée and remaining asparagus, and stir for 2 minutes or until sliced asparagus is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 50 g butter and parmesan. Serve with Maffra.

* Carnaroli, from specialist food shops, is a short-grain risotto rice.

* Maffra, from selected delis and specialist food shops, is a sharp cheddar from Victoria.

Drink 2010 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica, Marche, Italy

Via Mariano Pallottini