Chanterelle and Leek Risotto with Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

This was a huge hit.  And by huge hit, I mean that our two year old and 7 year old put away an adult size serving of this each.

Saute one leek, sliced thinly, and two tablespoons of olive oil and four tablespoons of butter until the leek is nice and soft.  Add in one and a half cups of arborio rice and continue to saute over medium heat for a few minutes until the rice is well coated.  Begin adding what will be a total of five cups of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to keep the dish vegetarian) about a half a cup at a time. I replaced one half cup of stock with a half cup of white wine. Each time you add more stock, stir the risotto until the rice absorbs most of the liquid.  While doing that quickly saute your chanterelle mushrooms in butter with a little salt until they release their liquid and are soft and cooked.  When you've reached the point with the risotto that you have only one cup of liquid left to add, add in the chanterelle mushrooms and continue to cook.  I added in a little fresh marjoram at this point.  A touch of thyme would work well too.  Adjust the salt and pepper level.  If you need to pause before serving the risotto, stop adding liquid at this point so that you still have half a cup to go.  This way, when you are ready to plate it, you can reconstitute it when reheating.  The risotto should be loose.  

For the asparagus, trim the ends from a bunch of asparagus.  Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest level, nearest to the flame.  Crush one or two cloves of garlic and place on a sheet pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and salt and fresh pepper.  Place the asparagus on the pan and swirl around until the asparagus are coated with the oil mixture.  Spread out in a single layer on the sheet pan and place under the broiler.  Cook until the asparagus starts to brown.  Pull out, toss around a bit and sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese over the asparagus and return to the broiler until crispy brown.

Place a mound of risotto on the plate, top with the asparagus, sprinkle a little fresh Parmesan cheese and herbs and a hearty grind of fresh black pepper over the top.