Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Spring Risotto with Morels, Fiddleheads & Asparagus



Do I really need to say much about this dish or its use of the best of what the season has to offer? Nah.

1 dozen asparagus stalks
20 fiddleheads
15-20 medium-sized morels, halved
1 cup risotto rice
1 small onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, diced
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup parm, grated
2 tbsp butter, divided
olive oil

1. Cut 2-inch tops of asparagus; cut rest of stalk into 1-inch pieces. Blanche fiddleheads and asparagus (minus tops) for 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Blanche asparagus tops 1 minute right before serving.

2. Saute onion and garlic until soft in a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil, a couple minutes. Add morels and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding fiddleheads and asparagus (minus tops). Cook together another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add more olive oil if necessary, then add rice, stirring to coat. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

4. Add a ladle of chicken broth at a time until rice is al dente.

5. Off heat stir in a tablespoon of butter and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately, garnishing with asparagus tops.

Serves 2.

6 comments:

christine said...

I see that you’re interested and fascinated in food stuffs. This is awesome Spring Risotto with Morels, Fiddleheads & Asparagus. You see, we have this food site Foodista.com (http://www.foodista.com) that is a food and cooking encyclopaedia that everyone and anyone can edit. Maybe you are interested in sharing some of recipes to us or share your knowledge about food stuffs and techniques. Don't hesitate to check us out. I hope to see you there.

Cheers!

Julia said...

I agree, the name of the recipe really says it all. Do you have any idea how long morel season will last? I was out this week and didn't see any after finding pounds...

Anonymous said...

See, I have this problem with your blog.....everytime you make something that looks REALLY good, I can't just go out to my grocery store, or heck, my backyard for that matter (and trust me, it's a BIG back yard) and replicate it. It's not fair--now for the next week I'm just gonna be thinking about risotto w/morels, fiddleheads & asparagus! ; D

Amber

Jennie said...

I had similar thoughts as Anonymous up there. I read the recipe and just have no idea where to find fiddleheads. I guess I'll need to put some effort into my quest.

Recipe sounds perfect for this overcast May day. Fresh veg and comforting risotto.

John Biles said...

What a wonderfully seasonal meal of freshly foraged, local goodies. The combination of flavors with these three spring gems is unparalleled. Thank you!

Langdon Cook said...

Christine - Big fan of Foodista here. I've contributed a bunch of wild food recipes and will add this one as well. Thanks.

Julia - The season really depends on where you live. Morels are winding down now in most parts of the country, but up here in the PacNW we're just getting started. It's been a cool & wet spring, so the morels are a little late. I've been getting them since early May and will continue to hunt through June at higher elevations and even into July in some parts.

Amber - So sorry to put these thoughts in your head...but they're good thoughts after all. If foraging is out of the question, maybe try your local farmers market--or there's always mail-order...

Jennie - Click on the "fiddlehead" label at bottom of post to see my other fiddlehead posts. You'll learn about species, habitat, cleaning & cooking. Since this is a blog and not a web site (I know, a semantical division) I don't bother to explain the how-to stuff in each post, but you'll find relevant info by poking around.

John - Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!