Mother’s Day Brunch: Risotto Nests

In my family when a special day or holiday with your name on it rolls around, be it a birthday, graduation, whatever, the question is never what do you want to do to celebrate. The question is what do you want to EAT to celebrate.  It is how we show our love and appreciation, it’s how we celebrate; we cook, we feed people, we eat. So last weekend Mother’s Day called for turning out some tasty tidbits in honor of my mom.

We went with the brunch time slot because, well who doesn’t love a good brunch, and mother’s day is a very brunch-y holiday. When scanning recipes for dishes to make one kept popping out at me ‘Primavera Risotto Nests,’ which is essentially a risotto riff on pasta primavera, mounded into a nest shape with a poached egg all nestled inside. Sounded like a winner to me, so onto the Day of Mom menu it went.

And how was it? So very tasty! Like the pasta primavera you know and love, only richer and creamier and cuter, all dressed up with its poached egg inside. Would I make it again? Well technically I didn’t make it this time, Rob did (THANKS), but I would be more than happy to have him make it again. Risotto nests are good stuff!

Final thoughts… HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

Primavera Risotto Nests with Fried Eggs (Recipe calls for fried, I poached. You do what you like)

Nested

Bon Appetite, May 2010

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
2 cups chopped button mushrooms (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth, divided
3/4 cup 1/3-inch cubes carrots
2 cups diced trimmed asparagus (about 9 ounces)
3 cups (or more) water
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/2 cup shelled fresh peas or thawed frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil plus additional for drizzling
4 large eggs

Preparation
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir until translucent at edges, 5 minutes. Add wine. Stir until liquid is absorbed, 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth. Simmer until broth is absorbed, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots, asparagus, and 1 cup broth. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to add remaining broth, then water, 1 cup at a time, until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, stirring often and letting almost all liquid be absorbed after each addition, about 25 minutes total.

Stir 1 cup cheese, peas, parsley, and mushrooms into risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook eggs, without turning, until whites are cooked through and yolks are cooked to desired doneness.

Mound 1 cup risotto on each of 4 plates. Using back of spoon, make hollow in top of each mound. Top each with egg; drizzle with oil. Serve, passing additional cheese.