Asparagus Risotto with Poached Egg

Since I made my first risotto over a year ago, I've been a bit obsessed. I fell in love with the creamy goodness of the dish and look for any recipes that give me an excuse to make more. It may not be the quickest of dishes but neither is it as terribly time consuming as some would have you think. On average, I've found that I can go from turning on the stove to dishing up the risotto in about 20-25 minutes depending on what goes into the recipe besides the rice. A less than 30 minute meal...Rachael Ray would be proud.

There is no need to stand over the hot stove constantly stirring either. Yes, you need to stir on each addition of liquid. Maybe an extra stir here and there. But to stand there stirring constantly? Um...no. Definitely not me. There are so many other things I could be doing instead. The first time I made risotto I did that and each subsequent time I didn't. There was really no noticeable difference between them. Was it creamy? Yes. Was the rice cooked through? uh huh. Was all of the liquid absorbed? Yep. Was it mouthwateringly delicious? Oh yea. Did I have to stand there and absorb all the heat? heck no!

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. I can eat it just about anyway you fix it. We didn't eat it a lot when I was at home because my dad was not a fan. My mom and I were, so occasionally we would sneak some into a meal. Since we were the only ones that ate asparagus, there was plenty to go around! I made this asparagus risotto a few months ago and let it linger on flickr for awhile. I noticed it a few days ago and decided it was time to post it!

I found the recipe on the Delicious Days blog. I tweaked it a little bit to my tastes and also halved the recipe. A normal full sized recipe usually makes twice the servings for little ol' me. So even though this would probably feed 1-2 regular people, I got at least 3 servings out of half. The original recipe was also in grams so I used an online converter to switch over to cups and such. Sorry if anything looks off! The proportions worked for me!

This was absolutely delicious! I loved the mixture of the creamy yolk and the creamy risotto. It was out of this world good. Poached eggs are another obsession of mine and I can't believe I never thought to add one to a risotto before! They are a perfect combination. The asparagus was a great partner to the risotto and poached egg. Fresh and still slightly crisp after poaching. It also added a lovely spot of bright green to the dish.

Asparagus Risotto with Poached Egg
(serves 2-3)

Recipe adapted from: Delicious Days

Ingredients
1 cup green asparagus
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken stock
1 egg per person
3 T butter
1/2 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup Parmesan (I like mine extra cheesy!)
salt & pepper
parsley

Directions

Blanch the asparagus in boiling, lightly salted water for about 5 minutes, transfer to a bowl with ice water, then drain and cut it into small pieces. Set aside.

To poach the eggs, use a pan that is at least 3 inches deep so there is enough water to cover the eggs. Bring water to a boil, add a tablespoon of vinegar (the vinegar should help the egg to keep its shape) and stir briefly to create a "whirlpool". Slip egg carefully into its center and simmer for about 3-4 minutes depending on the size of the egg (I go for 2:30 to 3 minutes usually. I like my yolk really runny). Remove from water with slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl with warm water. Repeat process with the other egg(s).

Add the shallot and half of the butter to a sauce pan and sautée for about 5-6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add rice and stir over medium heat to coat the grains with the butter.

Add a ladle of the warm broth and stir gently until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Add broth a ladle full at a time when the rice starts to look a little dry, stirring occasionally. Continue for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and creamy (Mine was done at about 15). Stir in the grated Parmesan, parsley, remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the asparagus, allow the risotto to rest for a minute or two. Top with poached egg and enjoy!