Asparagus risotto with hazelnuts and kumquats

Recipe for 4 persons

Time: approx. 45 minutes

Ingredients

Risotto
400 g Acquerello risotto rice (a particularly nutritious risotto rice from Piedmont)
150 g shallots
300 ml champagne
1.1 l vegetable stock
120 g butter, diced into cubes
200 g parmesan cheese
50 ml champagne
salt
pepper

White asparagus
8 white asparagus spears
250 ml water
50 g butter
5 g salt
15 g sugar
1/2 lemon, sliced

Green asparagus
8 green asparagus spears
500 ml water
500 g ice water
salt

Garnish
40 g hazelnuts
4 kumquats
1 spring onion 

How to make it

Risotto
Chop the shallots very finely, then fry them in a pan with some olive oil, but not long enough for them to change colour. Add the risotto and briefly fry with the shallots. Pour in the champagne, cover with the hot vegetable stock and simmer for 12 minutes.

Add the cold butter and sliced asparagus (cut into small pieces) to the risotto and then stir until the butter has melted. Finally, add the parmesan and bring off the boil. Add a little more champagne. Season with salt and pepper. 

White and green asparagus
Peel the white asparagus all the way to the tip. Bring the rest of the ingredients to the boil together. Add the asparagus to the mixture and simmer gently for about 8 minutes. Cut off the top of the asparagus and chop the rest into thin slices.

Peel the lower half of the green asparagus and boil in salt water for about a minute, then remove and immediately immerse in ice cold water. Cut off the tops of the spears and chop the rest into thin slices.

Garnish
Roast the hazelnuts in a non-stick pan while continually stirring, then allow to cool. Chop roughly with a knife. Cut the kumquats into thin slices. Cut the spring onions into thin rings. 

Tip
The risotto should sizzle while frying, and it's fine if some steam arises when you pour in the champagne. The risotto should be a little al dente, so don't waste any time taking it off the hob. Only good-quality rice will produce proper risotto like you'd get in Italy.

Serving
Spoon the risotto onto a plate. Arrange the asparagus slices on top. Garnish with the hazelnuts, kumquats and spring onions. 

Shopping list

500 g Acquerello risotto rice
200 g shallots
1 bottle champagne
1 package bouillon
250 g butter
200 g parmesan cheese
8 white asparagus spears
8 green asparagus spears
1 lemon
40 g hazelnuts
4 kumquats
1 bunch spring onions