OK, I don’t believe the second bit either. There’s no such thing as leftover asparagus. Even when guests come out of the loo looking puzzled and surprised, they can’t get enough of the stuff. So cook a few extra spears and hide them.

For the risotto, opinions vary widely as to the ideal consistency, from bone dry with individual rice grains all the way through to virtual rice pudding. I veer towards the latter.

Ingredients

Serves 2
Prep 10min
Cook 30min

250g arborio rice
1 medium onion, minced
1 fat garlic clove, minced
50g unsalted butter
Small glass white wine
750ml hot chicken stock
6 cooked asparagus spears
200g cooked chicken
50g parmesan, grated
150ml double cream
Salt and pepper

METHOD

Melt the butter in a large, non-stick pan and fry the onion and garlic gently till soft. Turn up the heat and add the rice. Shake the pan over the heat for about 2-3min, moving the rice around until it becomes translucent. Add the wine and let it bubble up. When it’s absorbed, turn down the heat slightly, add a ladleful of hot stock and stir. Season with salt and pepper. When the stock is absorbed add another ladleful, continuing till it’s used up (15-20min). Chop the asparagus into 2cm pieces and roughly chop the chicken. Add to the pan and stir until warmed through. Add the cream and cheese, and stir the whole thing furiously until you have a rich, creamy texture. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, with more parmesan if you feel like it.

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