Asparagus Risotto and Cotolette di pollo

Directions

For the Risotto

1. Heat the broth until gently simmering and keep hot. 

2. Heat butter and olive oil (about two tablespoons of each) in a wide sauce pan until butter is melted. Add the onion and allow to cook over medium low heat until soft and translucent.

3. Turn the heat to medium high and add in your risotto rice – this part is important. You want to lightly ‘toast’ the rice – that is, cook it in the onion mixture for approximately 3 minutes before adding any liquid.

4. Add the asparagus pieces and deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring until it is absorbed.

5. Now it’s time to start adding the broth, keeping your risotto pan on medium. Working with a ladleful of broth at a time, add the broth to your rice, stirring until broth is almost absorbed before adding another ladleful. Test the rice for doneness at 15 minutes – it should be al dente; slightly chewy, but not chalky. If you run out of broth before your rice is cooked, you can always add hot water from the kettle.

6. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, and this is the important part, mantecare the risotto. Mantecare (no real translation) is the act of adding butter and cheese to the risotto to make it creamy. In this case, add a good tablespoon (or more!) of your butter and a big handful of parmigiana, stirring vigorously. Taste for seasoning and enjoy.

7. Note: if you want to be fancy, you can keep the asparagus tips separate and add them later on in the cooking process (or steam them separately) so they don’t break down. Melissa's Nonna never bothered with this step!

Cotolette di Pollo

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl.

3. Line up two large plates on the counter – Season the flour with salt and pepper and pour it on the first plate. Mix the breadcrumbs with the parmigiano and some salt and spread them out on the second plate.

4. Dredge your chicken cutlets in the flour, making sure to cover both sides and shake off any excess. Add them to the bowl with the eggs, making sure they are covered (you can even do this in advance, allowing the chicken to soak in the eggs in the fridge for a couple of hours).

5. Take one cutlet at a time out of the egg mixture, and dip both sides in the breadcrumbs, patting the cutlets down to make sure the crumbs stick. Lay them out on a parchment covered tray to dry slightly (a few minutes).

6. Generously butter a baking tray (this is what makes the cutlets crispy and delicious so make sure you use a lot of butter). When your oven is preheated, place the cutlets on the prepared tray and add a couple of knobs of butter to each cutlet. Bake in the oven, turning once, for about 25 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown.

Arugala di rucola

1. Toss all the ingredients together.