SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO WITH MINT OIL DRIZZLE

While it's still rather grey and rainy outside, I am trying to lure spring to into making an appearance with some vibrant home cooking!

This veg packed risotto is restaurant worthy in taste and appearance and little touches such as a homemade mint oil to drizzle on top as well as raw egg yolk add a real wow factor to this culinary classic.

A perfect dish to feed a crowd and even better to beat some serious waiting for spring and summer blues!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

MINT OIL
Small bunch of mint, leaves picked
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ a lemon

RISOTTO

• 6 spring onions, whites finely sliced into rounds, green ends julienned
• 1l vegetable stock
• 350g asparagus, woody ends snapped off 
• 200g frozen peas
• 25g butter, plus a large knob to serve
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 350g risotto rice
• 125ml dry white wine or vermouth
• zest and juice of ½ a lemon
• 100g broad beans, blanched and peeled
• 30g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp truffle oil
• 2 egg yolks (it's gotta be Clarence court eggs!)

METHOD

• First make the mint oil by blitzing together the mint, oil and lemon juice in a mini chopper.
• Fill a bowl with ice and top up with water, then plunge in the green spring onion ends – they should curl up while you make the risotto. 
• In a pan, bring the stock to just below the boil over a medium heat and poach the asparagus spears for 2 mins, then remove with tongs. Chop the stalks into 1.5-2cm wide discs and leave the tips intact. 
• Put the frozen peas into a bowl and pour over a ladle of warm stock to defrost them.
• Put a large casserole or deep frying pan over a low heat. 
• Melt the butter into the oil and fry the spring onion whites and bay leaf for 3 mins until soft and fragrant. Turn up the heat to medium-high, add in the rice and coat in the fat, cooking for a few minutes until the rice has absorbed some of the fat and is glossy and slightly translucent at the edges. 
• Pour over the wine or vermouth and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. 
• Add the lemon zest and then a ladleful of the warm stock, and stir, cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 
• Continue to cook the risotto over a low medium heat for 20-25 mins, stirring and adding the stock a ladleful at a time, allowing it to be absorbed completely before you add the next one, and keeping the rice moving to cook it evenly and help it release its starch.
• Once the rice is puffed and tender all the way through, with no chalky core (you may not need to use up all the stock), pour over the peas and their stock, and stir them into the risotto. 
• Add the asparagus stalks, tips and broad beans, cooking for a few minutes to heat through. 
• Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and stir in the knob of butter, along with the parmesan, adding some truffle butter or oil, if you like. 
• Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly, then spoon into warm bowls and use the back of a spoon to create a shallow well in the rice.
• Carefully put the egg yolks in the wells and then top with some of the green spring onion. 
• Spoon over a little of the mint oil and stir everything together to enrich with the egg yolk and crunchy spring onion.
• ENJOY!

WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH THE BEST EVER ORANGE, TARRAGON & CREAM SAUCE, SALMON & POTATOES

The best thing about spring is of course that winter is over, the sun is (hopefully) here to stay and temperatures are rising. 

My other favourite thing about spring is that it means white asparagus season is upon us.

While white asparagus is a little used veg in the UK, in the part of Germany I am from it is a pretty big deal and its season much celebrated. You basically eat it as much as possible from the second you can and then wait an entire year to do the same again.

All this back story is here to make you understand why I was SO over the moon when I spotted some white asparagus as I had a nose around Borough market last weekend. 

I simply had to buy some, even if it's not the cheapest (about £22 for a kg in the UK) and excitedly searched the internet for ways to prepare it.

The most traditional way to eat white asparagus is with hollandaise sauce, sliced ham and boiled potatoes and I've done a version with smoked salmon instead of the ham many times. 

I however was wanting a more creative twist this time and stumbled across a recipe which combined boiled white asparagus and potatoes with a pan fried salmon filet and THE MOST AMAZING orange, tarragon, white wine and cream, so amazing in fact it was one of the best sauces I have ever made or tried. 

A big statement I know, but the combo of freshly squeezed orange juice and zest, fragrant chopped tarragon, zingy white wine and cream is an absolute dream and elevates the whole dish into something restaurant worthy. 

Honestly this was spring, my childhood and so much more on a plate and would be the most culinary way to introduce yourself or someone else to the wonders of white asparagus, I promise you won't regret it.

SERVES 2

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 tbsp butter
• 800g white asparagus
• 3 oranges
• 300g double cream
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 30g Butter 
• 20g flour 
• Salt & pepper
• Bunch of fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
• 500g baby new potatoes

METHOD

• Peel one orange and squeeze the juice out of the rest of the oranges.
• Measure out 250ml of orange juice and add into a saucepan alongside the white wine and orange peel.
• Cook down by about half, remove the orange skin and set aside.
• In the meantime peel the white asparagus and chop off stalky ends.
• Cook in boiling salted water for 10-12 mins.
• Cook your potatoes in boiling water at the same time.
• Drain when ready.
• Slowly sauté the finely chopped shallots in butter on a medium heat.
• After a minute or two sprinkle some flour over the shallots and mix well.
• Add the cream, then add the orange reduction, making sure to add the cold cream first to avoid clumps.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and add the finely chopped tarragon.  
• Pan fry the salmon to your liking, then serve with the asparagus, potatoes and lots of the sauce! 
• Garnish with some extra tarragon and enjoy!!!

MISO SALMON WITH UDON NOODLES & GREEN VEG

Show season is finally over and I am hoping I will now get back to posting regular recipes!!

While it still absolutely miserable outside I thought I would share this wonderfully warming recipe for Miso salmon with udon noodles and roasted green veg.

It's packed full of the good stuff, while udon noodles for me are proper slurp up comfort food.

I can't wait to get back into more elaborate cooking now that I have my weekends back so keep your eyes peeled!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

MISO MARINADE

• 1 tbsp each of miso, sake and mirin
• 2cm piece of ginger, finely grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 2 salmon fillets, skin on

UDON NOODLES

• 400g udon noodles
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, plus extra to serve

• 2tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying 
• Grilled or roasted Brussel sprouts

METHOD

• Combine the marinade ingredients in a container or dish and add in the salmon, turning to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the udon noodles according to the directions on the packet. 
• Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl and dress with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat the olive or vegetable oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. 
• Add the salmon, skin side down, to the pan, reserving any excess marinade. 
• Cook until the salmon is golden (approximately 2 minutes), turn the salmon over and pour over the reserved marinade. 
• Cook until the salmon is just cooked through (or still slightly raw in the middle which is my fav) and slightly charred.
• Divide the noodles amongst two  bowls and top each with a piece of salmon, the broccoli and sprouts.
• Top with a little more sesame oil and sesame seeds and season with some sea salt.
• ENJOY!