#spring risotto

Lucky for me, we also had pork country rib roasts at work that were stuffed with cherry mostarda, an Italian preserve made with cherries, wine and mustard.  Cherries seem to shout out the certain arrival of spring.  Strawberries are always a good harbinger but cherries indicate to me that spring is here and it's not going anywhere.  I've written briefly about country rib roasts but I should say again that this is a cut that you should absolutely ask your butcher about.  It comes from the first four ribs, right before the loin and it is the most tender and delicious meat.  In order to stuff it you can place it bone side down and using a sharp knife cut just above the bones straight back half way through the tenderloin that forms the round end of the roast but making sure it stays in one piece.  You then should be able to open up the roast and stuff any kind of preserve or marinade you'd like and then tie it back up, using the end of the rib bones as indicators of where to place your string so everything cooks evenly.  Then you preheat your oven to 350 degrees, brown the rib roast on all sides on the stove top and cook for 45 min to an hour and 15 minutes, or until a thermometer in the thickest part of the roast reads about 135. Then you can let it rest for 15 minutes and serve an it will be just amazing. 

The recipe that I really want to share with you though, is the risotto I made using an Alice Waters recipe but I added morels and some chopped tarragon at the end.  It was a perfect risotto for spring and I was so excited by the last minute decision to add tarragon which infused the whole risotto with a fresh and slightly anise flavor.

Spring Risotto with English Peas, Morels and Fava Bean Puree

1/2 lb shelled fava beans 

3/4 lb shelled english peas

1/2 lb fresh morels

2 cups arborio rice

5 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 large shallots

1 celery stalk

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano

1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

Shell fava beans as can be seen here .  Also shell english peas and place in a bowl and set aside.  Once fava beans are ready to go, put them in a small sauce pan with a little olive oil, salt and enough water to cover them.  Cook them on low heat until they are tender enough to puree, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain the olive oil and water and place the favas in a food processor or food mill and make a fairly thick puree.

Meanwhile, slowly heat your stock in pot making sure it does not boil.  Finely chip shallots and celery and cook them until soft over medium heat in a large pan that is going to hold your risotto. Once shallots and celery are soft stir in the rice and let cook for about 2 minutes, making sure you continue mixing so none of the rice browns.  Then, raise the heat slightly and pour in the wine and cook until almost all the wine is evaporated and the rice smells perfumey and amazing.  Once wine is evaporated, lower the heat to medium high and begin adding the hot broth to the risotto one ladle at a time.  It is important to make sure the broth is almost completely absorbed before adding another ladle.  Mix the risotto regularly but do not constantly stir as the starches in the rice will break down too much.  

While you're working on the risotto, cut your morels in half and place in a bowl.  Run the bowl under cold water and gently wash the morels to remove sand and dirt.  Once clean, cut the morels into bite size pieces and heat a small pan on the oven with a tablespoon of butter.  Quickly sauté the morels until they are soft and flavorful, making sure not to overcook them so they lose their flavor.