It was a perfect meal on a perfect evening, asparagus with risotto alla Milanese. I love classic Italian meals for their respect of good ingredients and simplicity. We are in lockdown but our asparagus is plentiful. My search for saffron proved to be much easier than I thought. Our local shop (which in different times also supplies vegetables to many of the restaurants and hotels in Bath) had some. It is very good quality too.

My chicken stock was full of flavour. Our butcher often has chicken carcasses on sale. I made the stock using three to which I added onions, carrots, a celery stick and a mixture of young herbs.

Of course, risotto alla Milanese is traditionally served with ossobucco or veal cutlets but just on a warm evening, sitting outside, this meal was all we needed.

1-1.5 litre chicken stock
1 small onion, very finely chopped
60g butter
300g Arborio rice
150ml dry white wine
2 pinches saffron strands
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g Parmesan, freshly grated

Crush the saffron strands and put them in a small bowl with a little of the chicken stock.

Put the rest of the stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat until it is barely simmering and have ready.

Put the butter and onion in a large lidded frying pan and sauté gently for about seven minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Do not let it colour. Add the rice and stir around to coat it in the fat. Pour in the wine and let it boil for a minute. Turn down the heat and add a ladle of the simmering stock.

Add further ladles of stock as the the liquid is absorbed and continue doing so until the rice is al dente. This will take about 20 minutes. Half way through cooking add the saffron and stock it is in.

When the rice is cooked, taste and add seasoning.

Take the pan off the heat and mix in a few tablespoons of the grated Parmesan and some extra butter or cream too if you like. Put on the lid and leave for a minute or so. Give the risotto a good stir before bringing the pan to the table (or transfer the risotto to a warm dish for more elegant serving).

Serve immediate with the remaining Parmesan in a bowl to be passed round.