Risotto is a real comfort food but topping it with a poached egg with all of that runny yolky gooeyness just takes it to the next level. And if you're making a vegetarian risotto like this one it adds a much needed protein boost to your meal.
For six servings you'll need;
1 litre of vegetable stock
15ml olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
4 sticks of celery
2 shallots
375g arborio rice
125ml dry white wine
175g asparagus
175g frozen peas
6 Yolk Folk poached eggs
70g butter
100g grated parmesan cheese or vegetarian alternative
Salt and pepper
What you need to do;
- Remove the woody ends from the asparagus spears then slice into 1cm lengths. Keep the tips whole and put them in a separate dish.
- Finely chop the garlic, celery and shallots then place in a saucepan with the oil over medium heat until they softened.
- While they are softening, heat your stock.
- Turn the heat up under the celery and shallot mixture and add the rice. Stir it to coat the grains and after a minute add the glass of wine an stir again.
- Once the wine has been absorbed add a ladle of your stock and stir well.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and continue to add more stock a ladle at a time. Wait until it has been completely absorbed into the rice before adding the next ladle, stirring continually.
- When you only have a couple of ladles of stock left, add the sliced asparagus stems, then continue as before.
- Before adding the final ladle taste the rice. If it's still a little hard, add a ladle of boiling water until it's almost cooked. If it's almost cooked add the asparagus tips and frozen peas with the final ladle.
- Fill a jug or bowl with boiling water and add the Yolk Folk poached eggs for three minutes.
- When the rice is cooked (but still has a little bite) turn off the heat and add the butter and parmesan cheese.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.
- Serve the risotto in warmed bowls and top each one with a Yolk Folk poached egg.
Steamed tenderstem broccoli or a green salad go well with this dish, and of course a glass of white wine (after all, you've already opened the bottle!).