Sweet Pea Risotto - fresh peas

Method

• Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and set up a bowl of ice water.
• Add the peas to the saucepan and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Drain the peas and immediately plunge them into the ice water.
• Drain the peas again.
• Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the peas.
• Puree the remaining 1/2 cup of peas in a blender with about 1/3 cup or slightly more cold water until very smooth.
• Set the pea puree and the whole peas aside.
• Put the chicken stock in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat in a large saute pan.
• Add the shallot and saute for a few minutes, until translucent.
• Add the garlic and saute for another minute, until aromatic.
• Add the rice and stir until the grains of rice are coated with butter.
• Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until most of the wine is absorbed.
• Start adding the simmering chicken stock, about 1 cup at a time, adding more chicken stock only once the rice has absorbed almost all of the stock already in the pan.
• Keep stirring the risotto frequently.
• Continue adding the stock in smaller amounts as the rice comes closer to being cooked.
• You may not need all the stock.
• After 20 to 25 minutes of this process, the rice should be cooked to the al dente stage.
• Taste a piece of rice to see if the grain is tender and edible with just a little bit of a bite in the center.
• When the rice is al dente, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan.
• Add a little more of the simmering stock, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, to loosen the risotto and make it soupy and creamy in consistency.
• Add the fresh herbs, the reserved whole peas, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the risotto into 6 large shallow soup bowls or onto a large platter.
• Use a spoon to drizzle the pea puree decoratively over the risotto.
• Pass more grated Parmesan at the table.