Dressed Venkel Risotto

Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to feed a group with a one-pot creation that tastes delicious every time and leaves the table satisfied. Well, I accept this mission whenever people come over for the first time (or more) and now it is finally time to share. Not just for the most recent recipients (hi Caroline and Vee!) but also so I don't have to google and guess every time I want to whip it up. Efficiency!!

This recipe is adapted from an old hellofresh meal and has been revised for various crowds over the years. The vegetarian edition is the usual go-to for crowd-pleasing, and it could be made vegan by omitting the butter and replacing the mascarpone and grana padano. I haven't tried, but maybe you will! The fave is the classic though, and the original recipe calls for marjoram-seasoned pork sausages - hard to find but sooooo worth it. But whatever you can get your hands on works well, and I hope you enjoy this asap!

**Despite having made this so many times, I have no photos of the dish. So please enjoy the pictured 'generic risotto' until the studio session for this recipe can take place.

Ingredients

makes 2 big portions, double or triple to suit your table.

Risotto

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fennel, quartered and thinly sliced
  • Remove and put aside the fluffy foliage (venkelloof)—this is delicious and part of the dressing!
• 1 tsp chilli flakes or sambal
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• OPTIONAL: 2 pork sausages, meat removed from the casing
  • Skip for the vegetarian version - no replacement necessary, but quartered mushrooms work well
• 150 gr risotto rice
• 1 cube vegetable stock, dissolved in 500-700ml hot water
• 100 gr mascarpone
• 40 gr grated grana padano, at least, and extra to sprinkle on top
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc., to taste

Risotto dressing

• Venkelloof, roughly chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • if you cbf with fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice (to taste) is a good addition/substitution for in and on the risotto
• olive oil, to taste
• salt & pepper, to taste

Method

1. Prep your stuff! Chopping, weighing, mixing, boiling etc. Then to the next step :)
2. Heat the butter in a deep pan or pot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel slices, chilli flakes, fennel seeds, and the loose pork sausage or mushrooms if using. Up the heat to cook the meat before lowering it again to let everything cook together for 4–5 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice to the fennel and meat, stirring to toast for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 of the prepped stock to the pan and let this get absorbed, stirring often, before adding another third and another, until all the stock is absorbed, and the risotto rice is tender.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together the venkelloof, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to create a green and lightly emulsified dressing.
5. If the risotto has absorbed all the stock but is not yet tender, add a little water and let that absorb until a good tenderness is achieved. Then, stir in the mascarpone and grana padano until melted and well combined.
6. Stir through lemon zest or juice to taste, for a bit of extra pep! Season the risotto to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, more chilli flakes, or whatever seasonings make your heart happy at this point.
7. Plate a hearty serving of risotto in a deep plate, topping it with the extra grana padano and a generous few spoonfuls of the venkelloof dressing. If you're feeling fancy and you have it on hand, it also looks good with a sprig of parsley on top ;)
8. Enjoy!!