The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf. Thank you Eleanor and Jess for hosting this event!

I decided to adapt a recipe by Giorgio Locatelli whose book "Made in Italy" has been sitting on my shelf for a few months staring back at me. It is quite a large book and I have been putting off making any recipes from it since I have enough Italian cookbooks to last me quite a few lifetimes. I purchased Locatelli's book because it was on sale at my favourite secondhand book dealer. I couldn't resist. Browsing through it one night last week, I realised that I wanted to make everything, everything in it and that that was the reason I didn't want to read it in the first place ... I knew it was going to be good. Darn, more recipes for my 'to cook' list. Anyhow, Locatelli's recipe for prawn risotto sounded just like the thing for this challenge as his recipe asks for a homemade stock and a risotto base composed of olive oil, butter, aromatics, rice and wine. With the challenge's requirements ticked, I decided to tweak the recipe a bit and pan-fry the prawns separately from the risotto and use some toasted and ground fennel in the frying process. I have eaten seafood risotto with fennel seeds before and it's a flavour combination that has struck a chord. This risotto is fragrant, delicate and yet flavourful. As you can see in the pictures, my risotto came out less soupy than the usual as Locatelli warns you to not overload the rice with broth, to not make it soupy and to stir, stir, stir. The result is one hearty, full-flavoured, rich risotto.


Prawn Risotto with Fennel Seed, recipe adapted from "Made in Italy" by Giorgio Locatelli

Serves 6-8


Garlic oil

Ingredients

  • Extra Virgin olive oil: 6 tablespoons
  • Fresh garlic: 6 cloves, chopped

Procedure

Infuse the olive oil with the garlic and let stand for an hour before cooking starts


Stock

Ingredients

  • Garlic oil: 3 tablespoons
  • Garlic from the garlic oil
  • Leek: 1, washed and roughly chopped
  • Onion: 1, roughly chopped
  • Bay leaf: 1, fresh or dried
  • Parsley stalks: 6
  • Black peppercorns: 6
  • Prawn shells and heads: from 1.5 kilos of prawns
  • Dry white wine: 150 ml
  • Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
  • Water: 2.5 litres
  • Salt: to taste

Procedure

In a medium size stockpot, heat set to medium, fry the garlic from the garlic oil in 3 tablespoons of the garlic oil infusion from the step above. Don't let this turn brown, please. Add the leek, onion, bay leaf and parley stalks and fry for a few minutes. Again, don't let this brown. Add the peppercorns and prawn shells and heads and cook for a couple of minutes. Crush the heads with a wooden spoon. Add the wine, tomato paste and water, bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour. Taste it for salt.


Prawns

Ingredients

  • Butter: 50 grams
  • Extra virgin olive oil: 1/4 cup
  • Chilli: Fresh or dried, to taste, chopped
  • Fresh garlic: 1 clove, chopped
  • Fennel seeds: 1 tablespoon, toasted and ground in a mortar and pestle
  • Fresh prawns: 1.5 kilograms, peeled and deveined

Procedure

While rice is cooking, in a large frying pan and in medium to high heat, heat the butter and olive oil, add the prawns, the chilli and fennel seeds and fry until prawns become pink, opaque and curl up. Add the garlic about 3 minutes before you finish cooking. Frying the prawns will take about 5-10 minutes. If your frying pan isn't large enough to accommodate all the prawns then do this in batches. You don't want to steam the prawns, your aim is to fry them until golden and fragrant. No more, no less.

Rice

Ingredients

  • Butter: 75 grams
  • Onion: 1.5, chopped finely
  • Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice: 800 grams
  • Dry white wine: 200 ml
  • Tomato passata or sugo: 3 tablespoons
  • Lemon juice: from about 3/4 of a medium size lemon
  • Garlic oil: remaining 3 tablespoons
  • Salt and pepper: to taste
  • Parsley: about 3 tablespoons, chopped finely

Procedure

Ensure stock is simmering away in low heat. In a medium size saucepan and with heat set to medium, fry the onion in the butter until it becomes soft and golden. Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, don't let it burn, keep stirring. Add the wine and stir until it evaporates. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the tomato passata and one ladleful of stock. Stir until stock is absorbed fully and add another ladleful. Do this for about 15 minutes or until rice is fully cooked but still 'al dente' or firm. Make sure each ladleful of stock is fully absorbed before you add another one.

While you do this, stir fry the prawns. Read above on how to do this.

Remove rice from heat and add lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons of garlic oil (ensure there is no garlic in the garlic oil). Add the stir-fried prawns, stir them in and set aside for a minute.


Mantecatura

Butter: 120 grams, diced and cold

You are now ready for the mantecatura. This step is crucial in helping risotto achieve that glossy look and silky mouthfeel. Add the cold butter to your rice and stir vigorously until butter is melted. Serve immediately.