Prawn, asparagus and lemon risotto

I am cooking with asparagus as much as I can at the moment as sadly the season is almost at an end, which is a sad state of affairs in this house! It is the small things at the moment. This is a delicious risotto recipe and when asparagus is no longer an option I use baby spinach instead but once you have masted a basic risotto recipe you can add lots of different ingredients depending on how you are feeling. Danny my youngest cooked this with me and it was a great way to teach him how to cook a classic -  Remember you cannot rush a risotto, it needs time and care. This melt in the mouth risotto is perfect for a summer supper and special enough to dish up when you are entertaining - how I can't wait for that to happen!  

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 tsp olive oil
400g raw peeled prawns
200g asparagus tips
50g butter
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
300g risotto rice
Zest of 1 lemon
200ml white wine - 2 glasses
1.1 litres fish, vegetable or chicken stock
40g parmesan cheese grated 
Salt and black pepper
Basil leaves

Method

1. First prepare the asparagus. Bend each stem and snap off the woody ends where they break naturally.
2. Cut the tips from the stems and slice the stems into rounds. Place in a frying pan.Cover the asparagus with boiling water and simmer for 3 mins drain, rinse under cold water and leave to one side. 
3. Place stock in a saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
4. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook gently for a further minute. Add the rice and wine and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes or until wine is absorbed. 
5. Add a ladleful of hot stock to the rice and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way.
6. Add the asparagus, prawns and lemon zest, 5 minutes before the end of cooking time, cook until prawns turn pink. If required add a little extra stock until rice is cooked.
7. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley, season to taste with black pepper and serve with a few Parmesan curls for decoration.