Succulent, sweet, juicy prawns served in a creamy, dreamy, rich risotto bursting with flavours from prawn shells, fennel and a hint of spice. This crustacean creation is surprisingly easy to make yet fabulous enough to make anyone believe you have been in the kitchen for hours.
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
First, make the Shellfish Stock: prepare the vegetables –
– garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
– fennel – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
– onion – peeled and roughly chopped
– carrot – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped, no need to peel
– celery – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
Heat the olive oil over a moderate heat, add the garlic, fennel, onion, carrot, celery, fennel seeds and chilli and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are soft and lightly caramelised.
Add the prawn shells and cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes, stirring from time to time. The smell as you add these, will be staggeringly good!
Now add the tomatoes, saffron, salt, pepper and fish stock. Stir well.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on low for 30 minutes, with the lid partially on.
Strain the stock through a fine or conical sieve. Press gently on the vegetables and shells to extract all the amazing flavours and stock.
Measure the stock and check you have 1 litre. If you have less, top up with water. If you have more, return to the pan and simmer to reduce.
Now make the wonderful risotto: preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6.
Melt the butter and olive oil over a medium high heat and add the prawns. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes on each side, or until pink, curled and cooked; remove from the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan – it may be necessary to cook in batches.
Set the prawns aside, separating them into those you are stirring into the risotto and those, including prawns with shells on, you will serve on top of the risotto.
Pulse the onion/shallots and fennel in a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop by hand.
Turn the heat to medium, add the shallots/onions and fennel to the pan and cook until translucent and very slightly caramelised – around 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute.
Next, add the rice and seasoning. Stir well, ensuring all the rice grains are covered in the butter and oil.
Pour in the wine and continue to cook to reduce the wine. Stir continuously as it reduces, until it has almost disappeared.
Pour in all bar 100ml of the stock. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously and enthusiastically.
As soon as it comes to the boil, add the bayleaf, cover and pop into a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Now finish and serve this wonderful risotto: after 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and stir thoroughly. Taste the rice to see if it is nearly cooked. If not, cook over a low heat on the hob, stirring continuously and enthusiastically, for 5 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked, stock reduced and the risotto is creamy. Remove the bay leaf.
Add the butter, cream, parmesan (if using) and prawns. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for a couple of minutes until everything is heated through. If necessary, add some, or all, of the remaining stock, until you get the consistency you are looking for. If it is still not cooked, and you need more liquid, use fresh milk. The risotto will continue to cook when you take it off the heat, so it should be slightly wetter than the finished texture you are seeking.
Finish with the remaining prawns, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
If serving the risotto as a starter, serve it, as is. As a main course, it is delicious with salad or green vegetables and fresh bread on the side.
Equipment:
I cook this risotto on the hob and in the oven:
Typically a risotto is made on the hob. After sautéing the onion and garlic, and adding the rice and wine, hot stock is added, ladleful at a time, whilst stirring continuously. The stirring is very important as this helps to release the starch on the rice and this, in turn, will give you a much creamier risotto. Safe to say this is an important part of the process.
However, if you can reduce the hands on time without compromising on texture and flavour, I consider that a win. I make risottos with a mix of oven-baking and enthusiastic stirring on the hob. You still end up with a creamy, rich risotto but also a little extra time to clear up, make sides and lay the table! If nothing else, time for a quick glass of wine! This is how I make my risotto:
What should I serve with this risotto?
To be honest, I do not go all out on sides at all. The Prawn Risotto is the star of the show and I want to keep it that way. Whatever you choose – leaves, broccoli, green beans, samphire, asparagus – keep it simple. Indeed, if serving as a starter, I serve as is.
What prawns should I use to make this risotto?
The prawns I use varies, depending on what I have available. Here I used –
If you buy a higher proportion of prawns with their shells on, make sure you use these extra shells in the stock – the more the better.
Can I make this risotto solely with peeled prawns?
Yes you can! Simply make the stock, as above, but without the shells and decorate the top of the risotto purely with peeled prawns. The risotto will still be wonderfully delicious, but the additional shellfish flavour from the shells will obviously be reduced.
Can I use cooked prawns to make this risotto?
Yes you can, although raw/green prawns will add more flavour. If using cooked prawns, simply add at the end and heat through.
Should I use parmesan cheese or not?
The jury is definitely out on whether or not to add and/or serve parmesan cheese with your Prawn Risotto. If I was to incorporate any, I would add just a little, say 25g – 50g, for its unami effect, salty tang and added creaminess. Any extra can be served on the side. Totally up to you! No judgment here!!