Wolfgang Puck's Spring Risotto & Strawberry Crumble

April 7, 2008 — -- Even if the weather isn't warming where you live yet, get into the season with delicious Spring Risotto and Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble from celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck.

Puck joined "Good Morning America" today and announced that he's launching a vote to help pick which dishes he'll be serving at his new restaurant, The Source, in the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

Click here to cast your vote.

Spring Risotto

*Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound pencil asparagus, trimmed

4 ounces spinach, washed, dried, stemmed, blanched, liquid
squeezed out

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced shallots

3/4 cup Arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

3 cups homemade Chicken Stock (see page 4) or store-bought, hot

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut off 3-inch asparagus tips and reserve. Chop the remaining stalks, blanch, drain well, and transfer to a blender. Add the spinach and process to a puree. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer. Reserve. Blanch the asparagus tips, drain, and sauté in 1 tablespoon each of the butter and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons each of the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until soft. Do not brown.

Add the rice and sauté until well coated with the oil.

Deglaze with the wine and reduce until almost dry.

Using a 4-ounce ladle, add one ladle of stock to the rice. Stir the rice over medium heat until the stock is absorbed and the rice is almost dry.

Add another ladle of stock and repeat the procedure until you have added a total of 2-1/2 cups of stock, or just until the rice is tender but still firm.

Stir in the reserved vegetable puree.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the Parmesan cheese. Continue to add stock to the desired consistency. It should be moist and creamy but not runny. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide among 4 heated serving plates and garnish with sautéed asparagus tips. Serve immediately.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

*Recipe courtesy of Sherry Yard, Executive Pastry Chef of Spago

Yield: 1 quart casserole dish, 6 portions

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups apple juice

1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 ½ lbs. (about 8 stalks) rhubarb, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp orange zest

1 pint (8 oz.) strawberries, hulled and quartered

Directions:

In a large saucepan over a medium heat, combine the apple juice, 1 cup sugar and scraped vanilla bean.

Add the prepared rhubarb. Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender. With a slotted spoon, remove rhubarb from the pan and place in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine the remaining sugar (2 Tbsp) and cornstarch.

Bring the remaining liquid to a boil, and whisk in the cornstarch mixture.

Continue to cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes until mixture is thickened.

Remove from heat. Add rhubarb, and fold in strawberries.

Pour into casserole dish and top with Almond Crumble.

Almond Crumble Topping

NOTE: You can make this topping ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, ice cold and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 tsp fleur de sel (flakey sea salt)

Directions:

Cut the butter in into ¼-inch pieces.

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix dry ingredients together on a low speed until they are evenly distributed.

Add the cold butter, and watch closely while you blend for 2-3 minutes, butter will be completely blended and the crumble will resemble small pebbles.

Remove from the mixer and scrape down excess. Pour out onto a parchment-lined sheet tray.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake crumble for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and with an off-set metal spatula, toss the crumble to distribute.

Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, toss again and bake 3 additional minutes or until crumble is even in golden color!