Fennel Risotto
Risotto gets its delicious taste from the technique of adding liquid one bit at a time. So for this recipe, you will be rewarded for cooking with extra love and not rushing through the steps.
Ingredients
4-5 servings
350 g
2
1
200 g
Risotto carnaroli (or aborio)
Fennel
Zucchini
Peas frozen
1 glass
100 g
1,5 L
1/2
50 g
1
2 cloves
White wine dry
Margarine or butter
Stock vegetable
Lemon juice and zest
Parmesan
Onion yellow
Garlic
Prep
15 min
It's important to prepare before you start cooking. There is no time to cut things when cooking risotto.
- Pre-heat oven to 200°C (if possible use fan oven at 175°C)
- Dice onion and mince garlic
- Cut away the fennel stalks and cut like an onion into medium thick strips
- Cut zucchini into quartered slices
- Grate some of the Parmesan
- Prepare a baking sheet with the fennel and zucchini. Drizzle with olive oil and pepper and salt.
- Set the table (it's best to serve risotto immediately)
Cook
20 min
Sauté onion
medium/high heat (in vegetable oil) until soft but not coloured ~3 min
Boil water and mix stock
Taste the stock so it's not too watery or too salty. Keep it at a rolling boil throughout the cooking process
Add risotto and garlic
stir so all risotto grains are heated but don't let them brown. The risotto should become 'glassy' ~2 min
Add white wine
It should sizzle. Stir and simmer until most liquid is evaporated ~2 min
Put fennel & zucchini into oven for ca. 20 minutes
Add stock, one bit at a time and keep stirring
stir until nearly all has been absorbed - the rice should always be soft rather than dry. Repeat this process until the rice is soft but has a little bite inside (so it's important to taste it regularly) ~15 min
Squeeze in lemon juice while cooking risotto
Keep stirring and adjust heat if it's too hot, you have to avoid burning the risotto
When the risotto is almost done, turn off the heat and add freshly grated Parmesan and margarine and stir rigorously
~3 min
A perfect risotto is creamy and much more fluid than rice (that's why risotto is served on a deep plate)
Mix in the roasted fennel and zucchini or serve it on top of the risotto.
Make it a dinner party
Getting a 'perfect' risotto involves a lot of subtle details but is worth it. Read up on it here.