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!