RECIPE: Asparagus and Saffron Risotto

Many years ago, there was a small restaurant on La Salle Street in Chicago, La Locanda, whose specialty was risotto.  They offered classes in how they made their risotto.  I took their class and this is one of the recipes I came away with.  (There is another restaurant in Chicago now, called Locanda, but that is NOT the same restaurant!)

La Locanda's Asparagus and Saffron Risotto

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

• Saffron extract:
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 quart water
• Risotto:
• 3/4 c. minced onion
• 1 T. minced garlic 
• 2 T. ghee
• 2 cups (1 pound) arborio rice (you can use carnaroli if that's what you have, but my preference is vialone nano)
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 6 cups hot broth**
• 3 T. butter 1/4 cup heavy cream*
• 3 cups asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces and blanched until crisp-tender 
• 1/2 c. peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make saffron extract: combine the saffron and the water in a small sauce pan and boil for 20 minutes.  Strain out the saffron threads and simmer the extract until reduced to 2 cups.  Set aside 1/2 c. for this recipe and refrigerate the rest for another use.

Saffron extract beginning thru boiling thru gorgeous color extract!

 

Make risotto: 

In a large saute or everything pan, saute the onions and garlic over medium high until soft.  Add the rice and saute for a minute or two until it becomes opaque.  Add the wine and reduce by half.

Gradually add 5.5 cups of the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring and maintaining a simmer, until it has all been absorbed.  This should take 20 minutes and the rice should be almost cooked.  Cut one grain in half and there should be a small dot of white in the center.

Add the asparagus and the remaining half cup of stock and stir until the rice is fully cooked and the asparagus is heated through, another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the saffron extract, tomato, cream butter and parmesan.  

Serve in a soup plate with additional grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

NOTES:

*Many years ago, when I had a friend who couldn't eat cheese, I started making risotto with cream, and we love it that way because it's extra creamy.  In the photos for this recipe, I used butter, and we both missed having the cream, so from now on I will use cream instead.  I will still use the parmesan.

**I used the ends of the asparagus to make a broth with leeks and celery, and used that to blanch the asparagus.  I mixed some of the leftover asparagus-end broth with the chicken broth that I used to cook the rice.  

Chopped asparagus ends, leeks and celery simmering to make broth

In the future, I probably will not go to this trouble, because most asparagus is sold without the ends, but it was a way for me to use something that would otherwise have been thrown away, and the broth was delicious.  It would have made a nice light soup.

 

I served the risotto with chicken breasts that I had brined for several hours in a garlic-honey-lemon brine and then roasted at 425F for 15 minutes.  It tasted delicious with the risotto but it exuded a lot of liquid and didn't brown, so next time I need to drain it very well before roasting.

I also made carrots with a saffron-honey glaze.