The B-Side of asparagus: aromatic salt and risotto

Spring : asparagus time!

I love to prepare the tips on the barbecue and dress them with olive oil, lemon juice and aromatic herbs. In this way, the tips are crispy and tasty. The stems instead (the fibrous white part) can be centrifuge and use the obtained cream in different preparations as a sauce, a filling or simply as a raw vitamin soup. You can use the asparagus stems cream also to prepare a tasty risotto (see the recipe below). The fibre discard of the centrifuged can be used to make a asparagus flavoured salt.

Asparagus salt:

Blanch the stalks for two minutes. Drain and centrifuge the stems. Use the cream for the risotto below. Dry the fibre scraps in a dryer or in the oven until it has lost moisture (6 hours at 40 degrees). Mince the fibre once dried , so as to obtain a powder and mix with 50% of marine salt . Use the asparagus salt within six months. Use this asparagus salt to flavour soups and vegetables to give a touch of spring taste to your dishes .

Asparagus risotto (stems cream):

Recipe for 4

Ingredients

The stems of two bunches of asparagus

The green part of two spring onions

380g Carnaroli rice

1 clove of garlic

1 L of vegetable stock

1 glass of white wine

Extra virgin olive oil

Asparagus salt (optional)

Pepper

Preparation

Blanch the stalks for two minutes in the broth, then drain and centrifuge them. Use the cream for this recipe and fibre waste to prepare the salt asparagus. In a saucepan, toast the rice grains without anything else. Then add two tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and green parts of the spring onion chopped, cook for a few minutes. Pour with the white wine and let it evaporate on high heat. Add the cream of asparagus and stir. Add the broth a little at a time , waiting to be evaporated before adding more and stirring occasionally gently to not break the grains. Flavour with salt asparagus. When ready turn off the cooker and if you like add a spoon of cold butter and a grated cheese. Garnish with some asparagus salt and pepper.

Lisa