Risotto With Spring Carrots and Leeks

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pour your stock or broth into a saucepan, and bring it to a simmer over low heat with a ladle nearby or in the pot. Make sure that it is well seasoned.

2. Step 2

   Heat the oil in a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat, and add the carrots, leeks and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the rice, thyme and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle.

3. Step 3

   Add the wine, and stir over medium heat until it has almost evaporated. Begin adding the simmering stock, two ladlefuls (about ½ cup) at a time. The stock should just cover the rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly nor too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion — adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, then stirring — for about 20 to 25 minutes. Taste a bit of the rice. It should be chewy but not hard in the middle. (If it is still hard in the middle, add more stock and cook for another five minutes or so.) Stir in the chopped fresh herbs, add pepper to taste, taste and adjust salt.

4. Step 4

   When the rice is cooked al dente, remove the pan from the heat and stir in another ladleful of stock, the Parmesan and lemon juice. The rice should be creamy. Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading the risotto in a thin layer rather than lumping in a mound.