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Fennel & lemon risotto

large fennel bulb, base trimmed Fennel bulbLike Marmite, fennel is something that you either love or hate

butter, plus a knob Butter butt-errButter is a dairy product made from separating whole milk or cream into fat and…

onion, finely chopped Onion un-yunOnions are endlessly versatile and an essential ingredient in countless recipes. Native to Asia…

garlic clove, finely chopped

risotto rice Risotto riceTo create an authentic creamy Italian risotto, the use of specialist rice is imperative. It…

white wine

hot vegetable stock

zest 1 lemon Lemon le-monOval in shape with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile…

parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated Parmesan parm-ee-zanParmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour. It…

small handful cooked, peeled prawns per portion Prawn praw-nThere are thousands of different species of prawn, but tiger, king and North Atlantic are the…

oven

Chop any green leafy fennel fronds and set aside. Cut off the stalk-like fennel top, remove the outer layers and finely chop both. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chopped fennel until soft but not coloured.

Add the rice and stir for 1 min. Pour over most of the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add 500ml of the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed.

Meanwhile, slice remaining fennel and fry in knob of butter until browned. Add remaining stock and wine and cook until tender.

When the rice is cooked, stir in the zest, Parmesan and some seasoning. Take off the heat and set aside, covered, for 2 mins. Serve in bowls, topped with the fennel fronds and cooked fennel, stirring the prawns through if using.