shitake and asparagus risotto

as you can see by the photo, i served this with the herb crusted chicken. i got this recipe from epicurious too.

i was inspired to make risotto after having lovely shrimp risotto from grotta azzurra. i've always been afraid to make it -- i heard somewhere that it was difficult, but bolstered by the disclaimer in the epicurious recipe, i tried it.

it wasn't hard at all, just a little stir heavy for the last 15-20 minutes. i would definitely recommend having leftover chicken broth (or veggie broth) to thin out leftover risotto. i also didn't use shitake mushrooms, but i used a mix of sliced portobello and white mushrooms.

shitake and mushroom risotto
5 cups chicken broth (40 fl oz)
1 cup water
1 lb thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, leaving tips 1 1/2 inches long
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 oz)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)

Bring broth and water to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.

Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and looks creamy, 18 to 20 minutes. (Save leftover broth for thinning.)

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese, remaining tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in asparagus and mushrooms, then cover pan and let stand 1 minute. If desired, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Serve immediately with remaining cheese on the side.