Chicken stock prior to being strained

Roasted fennel and pumpkin waiting to be added to the risotto

Sealing the rice with butter and olive oil and stirring through the chicken

Almost ready…Parmesan and fresh herbs to go

I dropped into one of my favourite kitchen stores today, The Essential Ingredient in Rozelle. I was there to purchase cake decorating supplies which will be turned into circus themed cupcakes for my nephew’s first birthday party this Sunday. As I wandered through their well stocked and organised store I spotted a bulging bag of Carnaroli rice and decided then and there that this evening’s dinner will be a comforting fennel scented risotto…with some other key ingredients which I would figure out on the drive home. 

Of course you can use the traditional and widely available Arborio rice for risotto. I have tried both, but my taste buds prefer Carnaroli. It isn’t quite as sticky as Arborio and I find it easier to work with, but it comes down to your personal textural preference as well as what is available in your local store.

It is absolutely essential to STIR your risotto until it is cooked. Don’t go and answer the front door, or feed the dog, or tie someone’s shoelace until the risotto is finished. It requires your undivided attention. If a child would like you to listen to their home reading, pop them on a chair next to you before starting on the risotto, and keep stirring while you listen. Plus your little one can have the first taste test and play official family food critic! 

I always stir my risotto using a long handled wooden spoon with a small slightly scooped head. Actually I use wooden spoons of various sizes in a lot of my home cooking, partly because they feel comfortable to handle. They also remind me of my almost 91 year old maternal Grandfather who still cooks up all sorts of delicious dishes in his kitchen and always with wooden spoon in hand. 

Roasted Fennel, Pumpkin and Chicken Risotto to generously serve 8 people

Ingredients
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 fennel bulb, sliced into 3 cm pieces and the delicate green fronds reserved. 
400 g sweet pumpkin diced into 2 cm cubes
4 cloves garlic crushed
600 g chicken thighs, skin off and diced into 2 cm pieces
2 litres chicken stock – I made my own earlier in the day but you can use a good quality commercial variety too. 
50 g unsalted butter
700 g Carnaroli or Arborio rice
1 handfuls of finely chopped fresh basil leaves
150 g grated Parmesan

Toss the fennel, pumpkin, olive oil and sea salt into a baking dish and roast at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside. 

While the above veggies are in the oven, put the chicken thighs and garlic into a wide fry pan with a splash of olive oil and fry over a medium heat until almost cooked. Remove from heat and set aside. 

*The above two steps can be done hours in advance which is essential, especially if your late afternoons and evenings are a marathon of after school activities. Store the cooked ingredients in the fridge until needed. 

*If you are interested in making home cooked chicken stock, flick back to my food blog post entitled Barley and Vegetable Soup on Thursday June 6th, for a simple and tasty recipe. 

About 20 minutes before you are ready to call your clan to dinner, start on the last part of this dish. Heat up your chicken stock so that it is HOT. Carefully place it next to where you will be making the risotto, with a ladle at the ready. 

Heat the butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy based pot. Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated and just start to turn opaque. Also the the chicken.  

Turn the heat to medium and start ladling in the chicken stock. I added 2 ladles to start with then 1 at a time as it was absorbed. The mixture should be bubbling along gently, but reduce the temperature if it is spitting all over the place. KEEP STIRRING CONSTANTLY and adding stock to prevent the rice from sticking and burning at the bottom of the pot and to encourage a silky, creamy texture to develop. 

When you reach your last ladle of stock, add the fennel and pumpkin. This should be taken out of the fridge just before you start on the rice. Gently fold this through, taste the risotto and add sea salt and pepper to taste. The rice should take no longer than 15 minutes to cook and when ready it should have a little resistance to the bite. Take care NOT to OVERCOOK or you will end up with a gluey, unappetising mess. 

Remove from the heat and fork through the Parmesan, finely chopped fennel fronds and basil. Serve and eat immediately.