eclaire (what's in a) name?

fresh, local asparagus is finally back in the stores near my house, and i’m incredibly excited about it’s return. asparagus always means spring is officially here, and summer, my favorite season, is not too far around the corner. while perusing the internets for new asparagus recipes, thanks to a bunch of links from this post on cheap, healthy, good, and i stumbled across a recipe for lemon asparagus risotto. the description sounded amazing, and i had almost all of the ingredients on hand. what can i say? from there, the dish practically made itself!

risotto and i have become good friends over the past few years. my absolute favorite risotto is made with butternut squash and sage, but this one comes in a close second, and much more appropriate for spring time.

in case you haven’t made risotto before, i have to warn you: it’s a slow meal. you usually always begin with olive oil and onions, then add the arborio rice – a short grain that gets creamy but still retains its inherent chewiness when you cook it. after the arborio rice is in the pan, you add a splash of white wine and then hot broth, in 1/2 cup increments over a 20 minute time frame. so this isn’t a dinner to make when you’re in a rush, but it’s great to make when you want to chat with your friends and family whilst stirring and sipping some of the leftover wine. warnings aside, this risotto is an amazing dish – it is paradoxically rich without being too heavy, creamy and chewy, and has a bright crunch from the asparagus. so next time you have an open evening (i know, how often does this happen?), try this recipe out, and enjoy the lovely spring weather!

one year ago: strawberry shortcake

1. bring the broth to a simmer in a large saucepan, and keep warm over low heat
2. meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat
3. add onion and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently
4. add the arborio rice and lemon zest and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
5. stir in wine, and cook 3 more minutes, or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly
6. add broth in 1/2c increments, stirring constantly – this process will take about 20 minutes, and you should add the next 1/2c when the last one is absorbed
7. after you’ve addd about 3½c of the broth, add the risotto, then continue to add the broth 1/2c at a time until al of the broth is absorbed (this should take another 10 minutes or so)
8. remove the pan from the stove and add the cheese, lemon juice, and thyme