Risotto with asparagus, lemon & mint

For ➍
50 cl vegetable stock 
2 tbs olive oil 
½ large onion, peeled & finely chopped 
2 sticks celery, trimmed & finely chopped 
200-250 g risotto rice 
10 cl vermouth or dry white wine 
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed 
35 cl extra vegetable stock 
25 g butter 
1 small handful Parmigiano, freshly grated, plus a block for grating 
½ bunch fresh mint, leaves picked & finely chopped 
1 lemon, zest & juice 
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 
extra virgin olive oil

Finely chop your asparagus stalks into tiny discs, keeping the tips whole. Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Put the olive oil in a separate large pan, add the onion and celery and cook very gently for about 15 m, without colouring, until soft. Add the rice and turn up the heat. Don't let the rice or veg catch on the bottom of the pan, so keep it moving. Quickly pour in the vermouth or wine. Keep stirring all the time until it has evaporated. 
Add the stock to the rice a ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the next. Turn the heat down to low so the rice doesn't cook too quickly, otherwise the outside of each grain will be stodgy and the inside hard and nutty and continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it has all be absorbed. This should take about 14 to 15 m** and give you rice that is beginning to soften but is still a little al dente. Put to one side. 
Put a large saucepan on a medium to high heat and pour in ½ the extra stock, followed by all your risotto base and the finely sliced asparagus stalks and the tips. Stirring all the time, gently bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until almost all the stock has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ladleful at a time until the rice and asparagus are cooked. You might not need all your stock. Turn off the heat, beat in your butter and Parmigiano, mint, almost all the lemon zest and all the juice.**  Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Put a lid on the pan and leave the risotto to rest for 1 m. 
Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of lemon zest and a block of Parmigiano

*You can replace ½ of the cheese with a little picked crab or lobster meat or fresh, peeled prawns or sliced scallops.
**Adjust cooing times to your kind of rice.  The asparagus will take about 8-15 m to be cooked al dente.
Read a tip for a quicker risotto.