Wild Garlic Risotto by Dame Tara Fraser, inspired by Anna Jones

Anna Jones’ Wild Garlic Risotto

Serves 4

Ingredients

Wild garlic purée
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
A ladleful of hot stock
A couple of handfuls of wild garlic

Risotto
1 stick celery
1 leek, diced
A small bunch of asparagus, tips kept whole and stalks finely sliced
200g risotto rice
1 glass of white wine
1.5l hot vegetable stock
2 large handfuls of broad beans
2 large handfuls of peas

To serve
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
Grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
A couple of handfuls of chopped herbs, (mint, parsley, baby spinach or pea shoots)

Method

Gently fry the onion in the olive oil until soft. Add a ladle of stock. Take it off the heat and  stir in the wild garlic. Tip into a food processor and blitz to a puree and leave to one side.

Heat a little oil in a large pan and cook the celery and leek for about 10 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the asparagus stalks and cook for a couple of minutes. Turn up the heat and add the rice and stir. Now add the wine and allow it to evaporate before turning the heat low and adding stock a ladleful at a time while stirring continuously. This takes quite a time, maybe 20 mins, have a glass of wine!

When the rice is almost cooked add the broad beans , peas and asparagus tips and cook for a further 4 or 5 mins.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the wild garlic puree and put a lid on it to rest for a couple of minutes.

Serve with grated cheese and lemon zest.