Fennel Risotto with Fresh Tomato Broth
The fennel is finely chopped and used instead of onion in the risotto, and the tomatoes are turned into a delicious stock to cook the rice, giving the final dish a beautiful colour.
Substitutes:
- No fennel? Use celery, leek or onion instead.
- No tomato puree? Make your stock without the tomato puree.
- No white wine? Just use the stock.
- Vegan? Use vegan butter and cheese alternatives.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
For the tomato broth:
4 Tomatoes (cut in quarters)
500 ml Vegetable stock
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Tomato puree
Salt & pepper
For the risotto:
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Unsalted butter
1 Fennel (finely chopped )
120 g Risotto rice
100 ml white wine
6 tbsp Parmesan (grated)
10 Basil leaves (chopped )
2 Garlic cloves
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 210 C/190c fan/gas mark 7. Add the tomatoes to a baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil and season with a big pinch of salt and pepper.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, then add the tomatoes to a food processor with the vegetable stock and tomato puree. Blend until smooth and set aside. This is your tomato broth.
- Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Saute the fennel and garlic until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the risotto rice and mix until everything is nicely coated. Deglaze with the white wine and cook for 1 minute to burn off the alcohol.
- Add a ladleful of the tomato stock at a time, stirring constantly, until it's almost completely absorbed by the rice. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is just al dente. Keep adding broth until the rice is cooked. Take it off the heat.
- Add the grated cheese and stir well until the texture is creamy, then season to taste. Divide the risotto up in bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
How to store
Store in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
