Spring Risotto with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We’ve swapped butter for EVOO in this green risotto that just sings of spring. Using liquid gold at every stage; softening the onions, toasting the rice, building the green base, and finishing with a drizzle that gives it that final peppery kick and a fresh hit of vibrant aroma.

Your risotto just got extra. Enjoy the freshness of spring with this vibrant green plate. You could sub in whatever spring vegetables you prefer, and swap rocket for spinach if you’re looking for an even richer colour. Remember, if you run out of stock during the cooking process, just add more water. A risotto should always be oozy, “all’ onda” as Italians say—like a wave. 

Here's the method: 

Feeds 4

• Sweat the onions with salt in a generous glug of EVOO on a low heat, making sure not to colour them—you don’t want charred flavours here, just clean freshness.
• Add the garlic and lemon peel, sweat for another 2 minutes. Add the rice, turn up the heat a little until the grains sizzle and go translucent, then chuck in the wine to deglaze the pan.
• Once the rice has soaked up the wine, lower the heat, and gradually add ladles of hot stock, stirring continuously as the rice soaks up the liquid.
• While you’re doing that, blanch the peas on a rolling boil.
• After 1 minute, remove them from the pan (but reserve the boiling water) then add half of the peas to a food processor with the rocket, parmesan, 100ml of the EVOO and enough of the stock to blend into a thin puree.
• You should have a lovely bright green sauce.
• Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes, and set aside with the rest of the peas and the raw, finely sliced, runner beans.
• When the risotto is ready, take it off the heat, stir the green puree through it and throw in all the greens.
• Season and serve with a generous drizzle of EVOO and some fresh mint.