Green Pea & Wild Garlic Risotto
In the spring months, vibrant green growth emerges from the forest floor. Taking advantage of the exposed light shining down through the still naked but budding trees. This is what makes it the perfect time for wild garlic to appear.
A favourite for the beginner forager like myself. Its wide soft leaves are fairly distinctive amongst the other greenery and often the pungent garlic smell and taste is uncanny. It loves to grow under and around old trees and can often be found near nettles or bluebells.
Wild garlic can be used as you would with any kind of soft green. It can be stirred and wilted into stews and makes for an excellent herb in pestos. Also my recipe for Wild Garlic, Pea & Mint Soup can be a lovely comforting dish on those sunny but still chilly spring days.
Risotto is such a great mid-week meal for me as it can come together quickly and simply while also being so versatile.
Adding seasonal asparagus to this risotto can make it really special as both asparagus and wild garlic can only be harvested during the spring months. It can feel like a little spring celebration as you enjoy eating these plants together.
For this recipe, if you struggle to find wild garlic, simply switch it for another green, such as baby spinach, and maybe add another clove of garlic.
GREEN PEA & WILD GARLIC RISOTTO WITH GRILLED ASPARAGUS
serves 3-4 • 30 minutes
for the pea puree:
250g / 1½ cup frozen peas
500ml / 2 cups hot vegetable stock
large handful of wild garlic, ~20 leaves
small handful of parsley
juice of ½ lemon
12-15 sprigs of asparagus
rocket leaves, to garnish
hard cheese of your choice, if desired
for the risotto:
olive oil
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
60ml / ¼ cup of white wine (optional)
300g / 1½ cup risotto rice
1000ml / 4 cups warm vegetable stock
100g / ½ cup frozen peas
small handful wild garlic, ~10 leaves roughly chopped
30g / ¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
To make the pea puree, add the frozen peas to a large bowl or saucepan and pour over the 500ml of hot vegetable stock. Leave for 5 minutes to let the peas defrost before adding the wild garlic, parsley and lemon. Use a hand blender or a stand blender to blend until you have a smooth texture; it should look like a thin soup. Set aside while you make the risotto.
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add in the chopped onion and allow to sauté for a minute or so before stirring in the chopped garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir in the rice and white wine, if using. Allow the rice to gently fry and start to turn translucent.
A ladle at a time, start adding in the vegetable stock, stirring regularly to allow the rice to take on the signature creamy texture of risotto. Take your time adding the next ladle of stock; only once the rice starts to look dry should you add more.
Once you have used about ⅔ of the stock, stir through the remaining peas and wild garlic. Continue to add more stock until the rice is soft but with a little bite (al dente). You may not need to use all the stock.
With the rice almost cooked, grill the asparagus by adding the sprigs to a frying pan on high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. This should only take a couple of minutes and be sure to turn the asparagus so they get grilled on each side.
Once the rice is fully cooked and the risotto is very thick, start adding in the pea puree. This will loosen the risotto so keep stirring in the pea puree until you get that desired creamy texture.
Spoon the risotto into bowls, top with the asparagus and sprinkle over the toasted sunflower seeds. Garnish with rocket leaves and a final drizzle of olive oil. You may also wish to add a grated hard cheese (dairy or vegan), if desired.