Spring Risotto

Risotto is a favorite of mine. It's prodigiously difficult to make, its only edible for about 20 minutes before it turns to muck, and more often than not it turns out mediocre. The easy way out is a box mix, but thats not what we are about here. The key to remember here is to go into this with everything prepped, a half hour to kill, and a glass of wine in your hand.

2 cups arborio rice
2 small onions, one chopped, one thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup grated parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen edamame
1 small head broccoli
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
4 tablespoons olive oil

Heat one tablespoon oil in a small pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Sitr frequently until caramelized, about 20 minutes. While that is happening divide the broccoli head into tiny trees until appropriately adorable. Blanch the broccoli in a small pot. In a medium pot (this dish uses a ton of pots and pans, I feel like I should tell you that now) heat the water and stock until simmering, then pull back the heat until it stops. Thaw the edamame with a splash of water in the microwave. Now we can start the risotto! See, I told you this wasn't easy, but its worth it.

In a 12 inch pan, heat the oil until shimmering over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and stir until translucent, about four minutes. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrent, thirty or so seconds. Add the rice and stir until it smells toasty. I know how vague that sounds but trust me its pretty obivous when it happens. If you need a time frame, I'd say at most 5 minutes.

Turn the heat up a bit and deglaze the pan with the wine. Pull the heat back and add a ladle of the stock to the rice. It should just cover all of the rice. Stay close to the stove from here on out. As soon as the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle of liquid. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan and mix the risotto, allowing it to cook evenly. Repeat until you hit the bottom quarter of the pot with the liquid.

At this point you need to taste the risotto frequently for consistency. I like mine just a hair's breath less done than most, but thats just me. Once it hits the ideal consistency remove from heat and add the spinach, edamame, broccoli and parmesan. You can add a touch of butter if you fancy your risotto rich but I usually don't. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately.