Fennel Risotto

40 min

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.

  1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C (if possible use fan oven at 175°C)
  2. Dice onion and mince garlic
  3. Cut away the fennel stalks and cut like an onion into medium thick strips
  4. Cut zucchini into quartered slices
  5. Grate some of the Parmesan
  6. Prepare a baking sheet with the fennel and zucchini. Drizzle with olive oil and pepper and salt.
  7. Set the table (it's best to serve risotto immediately)

Cook

20 min

pan 1b

Sauté onion

medium/high heat (in vegetable oil) until soft but not coloured ~3 min

pan 2

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

pan 1 continued

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

oven

Put fennel zucchini into oven for ca. 20 minutes

pan 1 continued

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.

waves

Make it a dinner party

Getting a 'perfect' risotto involves a lot of subtle details but is worth it. Read up on it here.

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