Serves 6
Fresh fish (see step 1, below)
1.1 litres organic fish stock
2 tbsp olive oil
Knob of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Half a head of celery, finely chopped
Half a bulb of fennel, finely chopped, herby tops reserved
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch crumbled dried chilli
Pinch saffron strands
400g risotto rice
2 wine glasses of dry white vermouth or dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5kg mixed seafood, cleaned and prepared
To finish the risotto
70g butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice 1 lemon
Small bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
1 Red mullet, monkfish, bream, John Dory, cod, mussels, clams, prawns and squid would all be suitable for this recipe. Put a shallow pan on a medium heat and fill three quarters of the way up with boiling water. Poach the fish, excluding any squid, prawns or shellfish, for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Leave to cool a little while you get on with the risotto.
2 Heat the fish stock in a large pan. Put the olive oil and butter into a separate pan, add the onion, garlic, celery, fennel, fennel seeds, chilli and saffron and cook slowly for 15 minutes without colouring. Add the rice and turn up the heat. Stir for a minute, then add the vermouth or wine.
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3 Now add a ladleful of the hot stock and a pinch of salt. Turn down to a simmer and keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and letting each one be absorbed before adding the next. After about 15 minutes the rice should be soft but still with a slight bite. Flake the fish into the risotto and any squid, prawns or shellfish – after 3-4 minutes the shellfish will have opened (discard any that remain closed). Remove the pan from the heat.
4 Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and squeeze over the lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with the parsley and the reserved fennel tops.