Well, my instincts were right because the arborio rice was the perfect base for this flavor combination & oh, what a combination. The sweet rice wine, ginger, lemongrass & coconut milk gave it a subtly sweet flavor, though it is not at all overly sweet like a dessert. The coconut milk along with the rice makes if very creamy & comforting. The crunch of the toasted almonds adds a nice additional texture.
Cooking note: I used very thin asparagus. If you use fatter asparagus add it earlier in the cooking process reserving the tips. Add the tips with the last cup of broth.
Lemongrass & Asparagus Risotto
2 T slivered almonds
6 3-4 inch pieces of lemongrass
3 c chicken broth plus more if needed
1 T salted butter
1 T olive oil
1/4 c onion, finely chopped
1/2 t peeled, minced ginger
3/4 c arborio rice
1/4 sweet cooking rice wine
1 c thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
pinch dried basil
1/4 c coconut milk
Toast the almonds over low heat until golden brown. Set aside.
Chop the lemongrass in a food processor until very fine & set aside.
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer & keep it simmering throughout cooking.
Put the butter & olive oil in a medium saucepan & heat over medium-high until the butter is melted. Add the onion, ginger & lemongrass. Cook until the onion softens & begins to turn translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the rice & cook while stirring for for about 1 minute, coating the rice with the oil & butter. Stir in the rice wine. Cook while stirring until the wine is completely absorbed. Add the broth 1/4 cup a a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is absorbed before adding the next.
When about 1 cup of broth remains add in the asparagus & dried basil. Continue to cook, adding broth as before. When the broth is gone the rice should be al dente with a creamy sauce. If it is still a little hard add more chicken broth 1/4 cup at a time. When the rice is done stir in the coconut milk.
Serve topped with the toasted almonds.
1 large main course or 2 small servings
Thanks to the Leftover Queen for hosting another fun challenge.
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© 2007-2009 Kathy Lewinski
. This recipe called for cream, egg & a lot of butter, a ton of butter, when I check them partway through cooking they were sitting in pools of melted butter.
. I figured Martha would have the perfect cream scone recipe, because she's Martha after all. This recipe called for butter, though less than the other recipe, and cream but no egg (except a little as an egg wash).
for dinner this week. This one sounded like a good, thick cheesy soup for a cold winter's night.
