Recipe and photography Jana MacPherson
One of the best parts of Spring is all the fresh produce available. This risotto is filling but also light thanks to the new Spring asparagus and herbs.
And in your bright Biriox Dutch Oven, it’s even fresher! Cast iron is great for cooking risotto with its even heat distribution and ability to retain heat for a long time.
We love asparagus, so thought we’d take this opportunity to enlighten you on some lesser-known asparagus facts. Like did you know asparagus is good for hangovers? Read the full list here.
Baked spring risotto recipe
What you need:
50 grams of butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1.5 cups Arborio Rive
1 litre of chicken stock
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
1 large bunch of asparagus
¼ cup of fresh herbs (this recipe uses mini basil)
½ cup of cream
½ lemon
How to make:
Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake.
Place your Biroix Dutch Oven over a medium heat and add half the butter. Once it has melted add the onion and sauté for around 4 minutes until translucent. Season well with salt and pepper while cooking.
Add the garlic and rice, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
Add the stock and bring to a boil.
Turn down to a simmer and then transfer to the oven to finish cooking. It will take around 20-30 minutes to cook. Stir halfway through.
While the rice is cooking, prepare your asparagus by snapping off the ends and cutting into 2-3 pieces.
Steam the asparagus until only just done – it will continue to cook when taken off the heat and once added to the hot risotto as well.
Once the risotto is cooked, remove from the oven and add the peas, parmesan, cream and the remaining butter and stir to combine.
Finally, add the asparagus and the juice of half a lemon.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed – stock can be salty so you may not need to add any more seasoning at all.
Serve with fresh herbs.
