Asparagus Risotto Cakes

Instructions

METHOD FOR RISOTTO CAKES

1. Begin by making a quick asparagus stock using up the woody stalks which you would throw away. Place the snapped off woody ends in a pan with a litre of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and keep the liquid warm
2. 10 minutes before the stock is ready, heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large pan and add the shallots, garlic and leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and translucent
3. Add the rice and stir a few minutes to toast, then add the white wine and stir until evaporated
4. Add ladles of warm asparagus stock one by one, each time letting the rice absorb the stock before adding the next. Keep stirring
5. Chop off the asparagus tips to be about 5cm long and set aside, then divide the stalks into 2 equal piles. Finely slice one pile into 2mm rounds and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining stalks
6. Cook the roughly chopped asparagus in salted boiling water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda – this will help the stringy stalks blend easily without having to cook them for longer and therefore losing the bright green colour
7. When the asparagus is soft (about 5 minutes), drain and reserve some cooking water. Place in a blender and blitz to a smooth puree, adding back in some of the cooking water if needed
8. Taste the rice, and when it is cooked just al dente, you can stir in the purée and the sliced asparagus stalks
9. Add the truffle powder I use, taste and season with salt, pepper, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lemon juice. Beat in the butter and Parmesan, place a lid on the pan and leave off the heat to rest for 5 minutes
10. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over high heat and add the asparagus tips with a small drizzle of oil. Stir-fry for a few minutes until cooked through but with a little bit, then add to the risotto
11. Set aside to cool completely before making the cakes and refrigerate for a couple of hours 
12. When ready to make the risotto cakes, set up an assembly line with the risotto on one end, followed by a bowl of the flour mixed with the garlic powder, a bowl of the beaten eggs, and a bowl of the panko breadcrumbs
13. Make golf ball-sized portions of risotto, and flatten them into patties with your hands. Coat lightly with the flour, followed by the egg and the panko. As you form each cake, place them on a tray lined with baking paper
14. When all patties are ready, shallow fry the patties in vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy
15. Remove from the oil and set on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil

METHOD PURÉE

1. Heat the stock and butter in a small saucepan
2. Once a stock has come to a boil, reduce the heat, add the peas and asparagus, then bring back to the boil, take off the heat and strain, and reserve the liquid.
3. Place the peas and asparagus into a blender with the remaining ingredients and blitz into a purée
4. Add a little stock to loosen it up to your desired consistency

METHOD RIBBONED ASPARAGUS 

1. Using a vegetable peeler, make ribbons with each asparagus stalk
2. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, honey and olive oil, then carefully dress the ribboned asparagus with the dressing
3. Add the toasted pine nuts, parmesan and season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Keep a few pine nuts and parmesan aside to garnish the finished plate

METHOD TO ASSEMBLE

1. Place the purée on the bottom of each plate and smooth out to flatten
2. Tower the risotto cakes over the purée, about 3-4 per person, top with the dressed ribboned salad and finish with more toasted pine nuts, shaved parmesan, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and chilli flakes
3. Serve immediately and enjoy!