One of the most famous chefs in the world, Jamie Oliver is an advocate of cooking meals from scratch, and of sourcing sustainable and free-range products. In 2013, amid overwhelming hype, Jamie Oliver opened his first restaurant in Singapore – Jamie’s Italian at VivoCity, followed by Jamie’s Italian at Forum just 2 years later. Since then, they’ve been dishing out fantastic, rustic dishes to hungry diners in Singapore, using recipes that have been tried, tested and loved. As Jamie’s Italian recently curated a special vegan menu for EatRoamLive’s dining event, the biggest hit of the night was the vegan Lemon and Asparagus Risotto. Head Chef Ashley Lim shares the recipe here.

RECIPE: Lemon and Asparagus Risotto

Serves 2
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cooking time plus resting: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

• 200g Carnaroli risotto rice
• 1 white onion finely chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 100ml white wine
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 3 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Tips left whole
• 1 handful of edamame beans
• 1 handful of baby spinach
• 1 heaped tablespoon vegan butter (Earth Balance Brand)
• 25gm vegan cheese (Daiya Brand)
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Lemon zest
• Olive Oil

METHOD

1. Heat up the vegetable stock in a pan.
2. In a separate pan, heat up some olive oil and sauté the leeks and white onion till translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add in the Carnaroli rice and fry for 2 minutes. Stirring constantly and gently.
4. Add in the white wine and stir gently with a wooden spatula until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
5. Add in 2 ladles of the hot vegetable stock (100ml per ladle) and stir the rice gently. Let the rice absorb most of the stock before adding another 2 ladles into the rice. (Should take approximately 7-10 minutes for this entire step, with the fire on a medium heat).
6. When the rice is almost done, the rice should still be white in the middle and have a slight bite to it. This is the time to add in another ladle of stock and the asparagus, edamame beans and baby spinach. Stir to combine and let the vegetables warm through. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
7. After 2 minutes, add in the butter and cheese, take it off the heat and cover the pan.
8. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then stir to combine the risotto. Use a wooden spatula so as to not break up the rice grains.
9. Scoop onto warmed plates, and garnish with freshly zested lemon, asparagus tips and a drizzle of olive oil.
10. Serve immediately.

ASHLEY LIM – Head Chef of Jamie’s Italian, VivoCity Since his kindergarten years, Chef Ashley has been fuelled by the passion of his grandmother in the kitchen. He has since put himself through Le Cordon Bleu (Paris) and secured the Head Chef position at Jamie’s Italian at just 27. Born and bred in Singapore, Ashley had an eye-opening experience making kimchi with his fiancée’s family in Korea last year. The all-day process included visiting the market and digging a hole in the ground to leave the kimchi to ferment – even though ready-to-eat kimchi is easily available. It gave him another reason to respect cooking from scratch, “Food cooked with love really tastes better!”Beneath his friendly, boyish demeanour, Lim is a force to be reckoned with. As Head Chef, Ashley’s vision is to serve affordable, wholesome fare by combining traditional, homestyle Italian comfort food with innovative ideas. Additionally, Ashley is inspired by the ethos of Jamie’s Italian to help people eat better. Together with his team, they have created a new menu focused on healthy, yet tasty offerings with mass appeal.