Risotto

Step 1 Sweat the shallots in the olive oil until softening, add the garlic, rice, bay & thyme.

Step 2 Stir for a minute before adding first the wine and then a ladle of stock. Continue to stir until the stock has been absorbed before adding in another ladle-full. Repeat until you have incorporated all the stock.

Step 3 The rice grains should be cooked through and not too chalky in the mouth but still have a good bite - ‘Al Dente’.

Step 4 Remove from the heat and stir in the butter & cheese. Taste and season with salt & black pepper. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks. Allow to cool. Refrigerate if preparing in advance.

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Porcini mushroom veloute

Step 1 First soak the dried mushrooms in the warm stock.

Step 2 Sweat the shallots in the butter until softening, add the garlic, bay & thyme.

Step 3 Add in the white wine, mushrooms and their soaking liquor. Bring to a boil then simmer until the liquid has reduced by 4/5ths, approximately 15-20 minutes. Add the double cream and return to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the bay and thyme stalks before blending everything very well with a stick blender or even better a smoothie maker until you have a really smooth creamy sauce. Taste and season with salt & black pepper before passing it through a fine chinois sieve.

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Breadcrumbing the arancini balls

Step 1 Shape the cooled risotto into 65g balls, using a weighing scale to check they are all the same size. First roll them in the flour dusting off any excess, before dipping them in the egg wash. Again, take care to let excess egg drip off before rolling in the breadcrumbs.

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To finish the dish

Step 1 Deep fry the Arancini in good clean vegetable oil at 170ºC until golden and crispy on the outside and hot through. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile warm your mushroom sauce and cook the asparagus spears under a hot grill drizzled with a little olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Serve with generous shavings of parmesan and a drizzle of truffle infused olive oil to give it a special touch.

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