The only pesky part of this recipe is shelling the peas. However with school holidays in full swing and children to keep amused, I offered the job – with incentives – to my brood. At first they were reluctant, but the offer of a delicious dinner of Risotto with Prawns, Peas and Mushrooms as well as a Lindt chocolate ball soon had them shelling with gusto, turning a tedious task into a competition. Ok, so the chocolates could be seen as a form of bribery by some, but I like to think of it as an enticement, a sort of edible encouragement. Besides, I was looking forward to opening the packet snaffling one myself and could guarantee that at the twist of the wrapper, all ears would tune in and my children would come running. 

The idea for last night’s dinner came courtesy of my very kind friend Ursula who dropped by to support my children’s school holiday sidewalk stall last week. Although the most pricey part of this dish is the kilogram of prawns, the actual cost per person is around the $8 mark – far less than ordering this dish in a reputable restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy eating out, especially the part which doesn’t involve having to clear up at the end. However with a family of eight, dining out regularly certainly adds up, especially when everyone in my family wants to eat a variety of top quality meals similar to what I prepare at home. Nudge aside any mention of chips and nuggets; abundant salads and tender steak, grilled seafood or velvety soft gnocchi and hand made pasta is what my children look forward to ordering and eating. Well, the apple or in this case apples, don’t fall far from the tree! 

Risotto with Prawns, Peas and Mushrooms to serve 8 people
This recipe can be halved if you are cooking for a smaller group. 

olive oil
75 grams unsalted butter
2 fat cloves of garlic
6 – 8 golden brown shallots
1 cup in total of flat leaf parsley and oregano leaves combined
saffron threads – a couple of good pinches
200 grams mushrooms – I used the Swiss Brown variety but the button mushrooms are fine too. 
1 kg of shelled raw king prawns tails left on for additional flavour
2 cups of sweet peas – if you use fresh peas then you will need about 600 grams of unshelled peas to start with. If you just can’t be bothered, then substitute with frozen peas. 
700 grams risotto rice – I prefer carnaroli because it holds its shape well when cooked and is creamy but not gluey. You can also use arborio or vialone rice. 
2.25 litres hot chicken stock – you can use home made stock or a good commercial variety like Maggie Beer’s. 
sea salt and black pepper to taste
fresh lemons

Blitz the garlic, shallots and fresh herbs in a food processor or Thermoix. Alternatively chop very finely using a sharp knife and watch your fingers. 

Heat up the olive oil and half of the butter in a large, heavy based pot over a low heat and sauté the above ingredients with the saffron for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. 

Blitz the mushrooms and add to the pot. Sauté for another 10 minutes, to release the flavours. Remove to a clean bowl or plate. 

Add a splash of olive oil, increase the heat to medium/high and sear the prawns on each side. You will need to do this in 4 batches to prevent overcrowding and “sweating” the prawns. As you finish each batch, remove to a clean plate as shown below. 


When the prawns are done, reduce the heat to medium, add the rest of the butter and a little more olive oil and pour in the rice. Stir this around so that the grains become covered with the rich buttery-brown mushroom bits at the bottom of the pan as pictured below. Keep stirring until the rice starts to turn opaque and just starts to catch on the pan. 


Now, add back all of the ingredients previously sautéed with the exception of the prawns. Grind in your preferred amount of salt and pepper and start to ladle in the hot stock so that it covers the rice by a couple of centimetres. I like to keep a pot on the stove simmering with stock for this purpose when making risotto. Adjust the heat if needed. You don’t want your risotto bubbling furiously and splattering all over you and the stove. 

Stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Keep stirring and keep ladling in the stock as you see the liquid absorb. Do not stop stirring. Even if the doorbell rings. Even if you can hear the children rustling in the pantry. A good risotto will be silky and creamy, with grains that cling briefly without being stodgy, but then separate slightly as they hit the tastebuds. This is only achieved by constant stirring and adding of hot stock. If the risotto burns, then you may as well throw it out – which is a waste – and make a sandwich for dinner. 

Halfway through the cooking process, add the prawns and fresh peas. If you are using frozen peas, take them out to the fridge just before you start this recipe and add them in the last 3 minutes of cooking instead. In terms of the cooking time, it took 15 minutes to cook the risotto from the point at which the first ladle of stock was added. Cooking time varies from 13 to 20 minutes depending on the TYPE of rice you are using. The risotto is cooked when the grains are tender enough to break easily between the teeth but still have a touch of firmness, a little “bite” to them. 

When the risotto is ready, spoon onto plates or bowls, sprinkle over some extra fresh herbs add a squeeze of lemon juice and eat immediately.