Crawfish and Asparagus Risotto

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Risotto is a dish of short-grain rice cooked in butter or oil with stock and various seasoning vegetables, such as onions and bell peppers. The Arborio rice used in this recipe is very tender and creamy. It is enhanced by the addition of crawfish and asparagus.

Prep Time: 1 to 1½ hours

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound crawfish tails

1 bunch asparagus spears

2 cups Arborio rice

6 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup minced shallots

½ cup dry white wine

1 tsp minced garlic

6 cups chicken stock, divided

kosher salt to taste

2 tbsps unsalted butter

½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish

Method:

Trim 1-inch off cut ends of asparagus. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook asparagus spears 2–3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and chop into ½ -inch pieces then set aside. Reserve asparagus tips to use as garnish.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 3 minutes or until translucent.

Stir in rice and cook until opaque. Blend in wine, garlic, ½ cup stock, and kosher salt. Stir until stock is absorbed.

Continue adding stock in ½ cup increments, stirring until all has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 15–30 minutes.

Add crawfish, asparagus, butter, and parsley. Blend well. Season with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.

Remove from heat and serve in shallow soup bowls, leveling mound on each plate with a wooden spoon. Garnish with blanched asparagus tips and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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