This risotto is really delicious and versatile – you can adapt the vegetarian recipe for vegans by switching some of the ingredients, and you can add cooked prawns for those who are more traditional eaters.
Ingredients:
1 large fennel bulb, with the base trimmed
1 tablespoon of butter or vegetable spread
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
140g risotto rice
175ml white wine
550ml hot vegetable stock (see tips for vegan varieties)
Zest of 1 lemon
26g parmesan or vegan alternative grated
e.g. Violife prosociano (available from Ocado and Waitrose or order online from London Fresh)
For the non-vegan/vegetarian eaters, add a small handful of cooked, peeled prawns per portion.
Instructions:
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 tablespoon of butter vegetable oil spread I a frying pan and cook the onion, garlic and chopped fennel until soft but not coloured.
Add the rice and stir for a minute. Pour over most of the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add a spoonful at a time of the 500ml of the hot stock, stirring between each spoonful until it is absorbed, before adding the next spoonful.
In the meantime, slice the remaining fennel and fry in a knob of butter of vegetable spread until browned. Add the remaining stock and wine, and cook until the vegetables and rice are all tender.
When the mixture is cooked, stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan and some seasoning. Take off the heat and set aside, covered for 2 minutes. Serve in bowls, topped with the fennel fronds and cooked fennel, and stir the prawns through for those who are having prawns with the risotto.
Adapted from a recipe by BBC Good Food