Friday, April 12, 2013

Asparagus, Leek, and Sheep Cheese Risotto

The genesis of this recipe came from this week's farmer's market and Garden Variety Cheese-- we were tasting their samples and the woman working at the booth suggested that we make risotto with one of their cheeses: Hollyhock, which their website describes as "a raw sheep cheese aged for at least 8 months."  It melted into the risotto very well, and gave it a pleasantly mild taste.

I've found that while risotto isn't necessarily difficult, it does require a lot of patience.   I first learned to make it from my dad, who is in no way Italian-- so if this misses the "traditional" mark, I'm sorry!  The leeks I used (thick as my wrist and about four feet tall, including the ends of the leaves) are also his.



1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, washed and sliced finely
1 small onion, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, minced (I used oregano, thyme, and parsley from our garden)
1/3 c. dry white cooking wine or sherry
2 c. arborio rice
6 c. chicken broth (more might be necessary)
1 lb. skinny asparagus
about 1 c. grated Hollyhock cheese (you can use a similar sheep's milk cheese or parmesan if you can't find this one)
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prep: clean and half-moon the leeks.  The easiest way to do this is cut off the tops and remove the outer layer, then cut in half and rinse under cold water.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic and herbs.  Snap the bottoms off the asparagus and then cut into one-inch pieces. 

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat; then, add the leeks, onions, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Cook all until the onions and leeks are limp and translucent.

Add the rice.  Stir continuously until the rice is just barely translucent around the outsides of the kernel-- you may need to add a bit more oil.  Once the rice is at that stage, add the cooking sherry and stir until it's fully absorbed.

The next step is to add the chicken broth: do so slowly, about half a cup at a time.  Each time you add broth, stir until the broth has been absorbed (but not so long that the rice gets dry).  This is the part that takes patience, so try not to get frustrated: it'll be worth it, I promise.

Once you have about half a cup of broth left, add the asparagus.  You can either add it directly to the risotto or sautee it briefly beforehand in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  If you choose to sautee it, don't cook for longer than 3-4 minutes-- it'll finish cooking with the rice, and overcooked asparagus isn't fun for anyone.

After all the broth has been added, turn off the heat and fold in about 3/4 c. of the grated cheese.  Garnish with the rest of the cheese and a little more minced herbs, if you have any left.

Serves 4-6 as a main course, or more as an appetizer/side.


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