Prawn and Corn Risotto

This is a recipe I whipped up in Ettalong Beach. I had packed a single cob of corn, a bulb of fennel and a couple of onions that I had at home already. I also had a tin of risotto rice, which can turn a few simple bits into a pretty yum dinner (for one or many) very quickly. This is enough for two people but very easy to scale it up or down as you wish.

You’ll need

6–8 large raw prawns in their shells
1 bulb of fennel
1 onion
1 bay leaf
Fennel seeds
Salt
Olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 cup risotto rice (I prefer Carnaroli)
1 cup white wine
1 cob of corn
Butter
Pepper
Chives, fennel fronds or any other soft herbs
Chilli oil, to serve
Lemon, to serve

Method

Make the stock

Peel the prawns and toss the shells into a pot, then pop the prawns in the fridge for later. Roughly chop half the fennel. Halve and peel the onion, then add the skins, half the onion, and the chopped fennel to the prawn shells. Keep the remaining fennel and onion for the risotto. Throw in a bay leaf, a few fennel seeds and whatever else you like. Fill with water, season with salt and simmer for an hour. Strain and keep warm.

Make the risotto

Finely dice the garlic and the remaining fennel and onion. Add to a large frying pan with a good lug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and cook slowly until soft and sweet, about 15–20 minutes.Add the rice and toast for a few minutes, then pour in the white wine. Let the wine cook off, stirring as it goes.I like to add my stock all at once. You can do it bit by bit if you prefer, but if you’re using good-quality rice, it’s not always necessary to get a creamy result. Add enough stock to cover the rice, bring to a solid simmer and leave it to cook for 10–15 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. While that’s happening, slice the kernels from the corn cob and roughly chop the raw prawns.Once the rice is nearly cooked through but still has some bite, add the corn and prawns and cook for another couple of minutes, until the prawns are just cooked. Stir through a good knob of butter and season with salt and pepper.Spoon onto plates and finish with chopped chives, fennel fronds, a wedge of lemon and a good drizzle of chilli oil.