Jul 21 2008
Salami, Fennel & Chestnut Risotto
Cooking for a Crowd amount - 15 to 20 people
Ingredients
400g of fresh chestnuts
250g of Italian salami (whole)
Two onions
Six heads of fennel
150g butter
One litre of chicken stock
One kg of risotto rice
One bottle of white wine
Three bay leaves
Freshly grated parmesan
Method
Preheat your oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8. Slice short incisions into the fresh chestnuts then add to a roasting tray and put into the oven. After 5 minutes remove and shake the chestnuts, leave to cool before deshelling and chopping them.
Peel the salami and then dice it into 1/2cm chunks. Chop the onion and fennel finely (making sure to trim the tops off of the fennel, to keep to one side.) Melt approximately 30% of the butter into a pan and add the salami. Cook until the salami has turned crisp, add the fennel, onions and leave to stew on a lower heat whilst boiling the stock in a separate pan.
Now is the time to add the rice to the salami, onion and fennel pan, mix it all together so that the rice is covered. Add the bay leaves and the bottle of white wine. Reduce the heat on the pan and allow it all to slowly boil. Stir occasionally until the rice is sticky and the wine has been absorbed. Add the stock a bit at a time and stir at regular intervals.
Allow the rice to cook for a while and chop the tops of the fennel finely. After twelve minutes add the chopped chestnuts to the rice and continue moistening with stock until the rice is done. Once that is cooked add the fennel, butter and cheese, giving it a stir and serve immediately.
While the rice cooks, chop the fennel tops very finely. After 12 minutes add the chestnuts to the risotto and continue cooking, moistening with stock, for another eight minutes or so until the rice is tender. Add the fennel tops and the remaining butter, then season. At the last minute stir in the cheese and serve immediately. Once this is done you have finished cooking for a crowd and are now ready to feed one!
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