Risotto with roasted asparagus and preserved lemon

 I was finally feeling up to a bit of cooking after a week of vertigo. I was amply rewarded with this very tasty meal.

Risotto with roasted asparagus and preserved lemon

 Adapted from healthylivingmarket.com in Saratoga Springs,N.Y.

The original recipe didn't call for roasting the asparagus, but I think the combo pack of the deepened asparagus flavors with the lemon was wondrous. It also called for God's own supply of chives, which I certain have in spades in the alley, but I'm glad I greatly scaled that back.

 Ingredients

12 ounces fresh asparagus

Olive oil for drizzling

4 cups broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup risotto

½ cup white wine

½ a preserved lemon, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped chives

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap ends off asparagus spears where they feel like they want to break, discarding ends. Place spears on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes until just tender. (Mine were pretty thick and took about 20 minutes for that stage, so check sooner if you’re using the pencil-thin size.) Remove from oven and set aside. When cool enough to handle, chop most of the asparagus into pieces of an inch or two.

Meanwhile, heat broth to a simmer. In a separate saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in risotto and cook, stirring for a few minutes until the kernels are well glistened and starting to dance. Add white wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is nearly absorbed. Add broth a ladle at a time, stirring and letting the liquid cook down until nearly absorbed each time. When broth is all absorbed (it will take a good half hour, so pull up a stool), add asparagus chunks, preserved lemon and most of the chives and Parmesan. Serve risotto topped with remaining asparagus spears and garnished with remaining chives and Parmesan.