Recipe Tip: Fennel and Sausage Risotto - Falstaff

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Clean the fennel bulbs: remove the outer leaves, cut off the stems and greens. Halve one fennel bulb, cut out the stalk and finely chop.

2. Step 2

   Cut the second bulb lengthwise into slices about 5mm thick.

3. Step 3

   Peel the sausage from its skin and cut into pieces about 3cm thick. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry the sausage pieces until brown all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Step 4

   In the same pan, fry the fennel slices on both sides until nicely browned and pleasantly firm to the bite. Lift out and set aside for later.

5. Step 5

   Sauté the onion, fennel seeds and finely chopped fennel in the same pan until they have become translucent but not yet coloured. Add a little more oil if necessary. Add the rice and fry, stirring frequently, until it smells lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

6. Step 6

   Pour the white wine into the pan, stir and let it bubble until all the liquid evaporates.

7. Step 7

   Pour in a generous ladle of the hot stock and stir. Continue to stir occasionally, adding more hot stock when the previous addition has been absorbed.

8. Step 8

   Repeat until the rice is cooked al dente, 15–20 minutes.

9. Step 9

   Add more stock to obtain a soupy consistency, then stir in the parmesan, sausage and nuts. Stir until the risotto has a loose, creamy consistency – it should be liquid enough to move around on the serving plate.

10. Step 10

    Serve on warmed plates, topped with the reserved fried fennel slices, seasoned with freshly ground black pepper.