This gorgeously silky and unxious version of risotto using orzo pasta is a beautiful easy and equally impressive tasting dish to eat. Don't skip the gremolata to garnish the dish with as the acidity of the lemon seasoning is essential for balancing out the sweetness of the dish.
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time 40 mins
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in to 1inch cubes (approx)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1tsp dried rosemary
100ml milk
1tbsp butter
2 shallot, peeled and finely diced
500ml hot chicken or veg stock
Grated parmesan, 4tbsp approx
8 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
For the Gremolata
1 lemon
30g fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely grated
EVOO (extra vigin olive oil)
Pre heat the oven 180c.
Toss the sweet potato cubes in 1tbsp of olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the dried rosemary, pop on a baking tray and put in the oven, cook until very tender, this could take around 45mins.
Once coked remove from the oven and allow to cool, keep a few cubes per dish to one side for garnish and pop the rest in to a food processor with the milk and blitz until smooth, you can add a dash of water if the mixture is too dry to blend. Once smooth, have a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Set aside.
Heat the butter on a medium heat in a sauté pan and gently cook the diced shallots until tender, don't cook them on a high heat as we don't want any colour or browning on them. Next add the dried orzo and toast for a few minutes
Now add half the hot stock and stir, waiting for it to be fully absorbed. Now add the second lot of stock and repeat until it has been absorbed. You're orzo should be tender by now but you can add more stock to be absorbed if need be. Make sure the orzo is tender and loose, like a traditional risotto.
Now stir through the potato puree and most of the parmesan, keeping some cheese for garnish at the end. Stir in until combined and have a taste add salt and pepper if you require, a small squeeze of lemon would help lift the dish to, but that's the reason we making the gremolata later in the recipe.
Leave the orzotto to rest with a lid over the top and the heat off.
Next toss the asparagus in a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan on a high heat and cook the asparagus for around 4 mins until just cooked tossing every so often. Alternately you can pop the under a grill on high heat for a few minutes. Once cooled enough to handle chop in to 1inch pieces roughly.
Lastly in a bowl combine the chilled parsley, grated garlic, zest of the lemon and half of its juice (use the other half directly over the cooked asparagus)a pinch of salt and around 1.5tbsp of EVOO leave for 1 minute.
Plate up... spoon the orzotto into a bowl and garnish with the chopped asparagus, reserved potato cubes, some much needed gremolata, left over parmesan and a good crack or fresh pepper.
Try to keep your stock hot throughout the process, try pouring it into a sauce pan on a low heat to keep it hot while you add it, cold or luke warm stock won't be absorbed as well.
