Home > Recipes > Prawns > Fennel and prawn risotto

Fennel and prawn risotto

Name: Fennel and prawn risotto
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 250g sustainable raw, unpeeled prawns; 300ml dry white vermouth; 700ml fresh fish stock; 100g unsalted butter; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 2 small fennel bulbs, or 1 large one, cut into small cubes; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 200g risotto rice (such as arborio); Small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, coarsely chopped

By: Sophie Baimbridge

Published: 2 Oct 15
Updated: 4 Mar 25

Italian cookery expert Sophie Baimbridge shares her recipe for an authentic Italian seafood risotto.

Medium
September 2015

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 35 min

Italian cookery expert Sophie Baimbridge shares her recipe for an authentic Italian seafood risotto.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 525kcals
Fat: 21.7g (13.2g saturated)
Protein: 15.7g
Carbohydrates: 46.6g (5.4g sugars)
Fibre: 3.8g
Salt: 2g

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

250g sustainable raw, unpeeled prawns
300ml dry white vermouth
700ml fresh fish stock
100g unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small fennel bulbs, or 1 large one, cut into small cubes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
200g risotto rice (such as arborio)
Small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Peel the prawns and put the shells and heads in a saucepan with the vermouth and stock. Bring to the boil; simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain into a jug (discard the shells and heads) to produce about 750ml stock. Return to the pan and keep warm on the hob.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a low-medium heat, then fry the onion gently for 5 minutes without colouring, stirring. Add the fennel and garlic and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 3 minutes to toast the rice in the butter. Stir in a ladleful of the stock and cook at a fast simmer, stirring constantly. As the rice cooks it will slowly release starch, giving the dish its creamy consistency. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful.

Continue like this for about 20 minutes or until the rice is al dente. When you have added about three-quarters of the stock, add the prawns. Add a little more stock if needed – each time you cook risotto it will need a different amount of stock – until the prawns are pink and cooked and the rice is al dente. Sprinkle over the parsley to serve.