Wild asparagus, shrimp and cocoa nibs risotto

Spring is in the air in Sicily and we celebrated with a very seasonal risotto we prepared during a cooking class last Tuesday. Risotto with wild asparagus, shrimps and cocoa nibs.

Prepare the asparagus and the shrimp.

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off the tough ends (the woody part of the spear) and cutting the tender part into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer). Clean the shrimp, deveine them and keep the shells for the stock.

Then make a wild asparagus and shrimp-shell stock.

Take the shrimp shells and the woody part of the asparagus, place them in a pot, cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Add a pinch of sugar to absorb the bitterness of the asparagus and salt to taste. Then, let it simmer for 15/20 minutes, drain the broth and set it aside, keeping it warm and ready for the risotto preparation.

Cook the risotto.

Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat, add extra virgin olive oil and sauté the asparagus tips. Cook them for 3-5 minutes. Add the rice (I used carnaroli rice) and stir well with a wooden spoon. Sauté for 2 more minutes until the rice grains are translucent, then pour in a glass of white wine and keep stirring to cook out the alcohol. At this point, start adding the asparagus and shrimp-shell stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring often. Add more stock as needed, until the rice is cooked "al dente". Half-way through the cooking process add the shrimps.Turn off the heat and stir in some butter (in this recipe, I prefer not to do so and just add some light extra virgin olive oil on top before serving).

Serve the risotto with cocoa nibs.

Finish the dish with a sprinkle of cocoa nibs, which are simply roasted cocoa beans separated from their husks and broken into small bits. I make my own nibs, but you can also buy them ready.
This adds to the risotto a special crunchy texture and the nutty taste of toasted cocoa beans, whit their aftertaste of peat malted whisky, balance out the bitterness of wild asparagus and the sweet taste of shrimps.
A great way to remind ourselves that cocoa is simply part of Modica's general food tradition and not simply the base for a sweet.