Prawn & Courgette Risotto

📝 Ingredients

• 320 g arborio rice
• 400 g raw peeled prawns (thawed if frozen)
• 2 courgettes (about 250 g each)
• 1 brown onion (about 120 g)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 vegetable stock cubes + 1200 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20 g butter
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 1 lemon (zest + 2 tbsp juice)
• 10 g fresh parsley
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan
• Large sauté pan
• Ladle
• Wooden spatula
• Fine grater

📖 Steps

1. Dissolve the stock cubes in the hot water in a saucepan and keep at a gentle simmer over a low heat throughout cooking: cold stock would interrupt the cooking of the rice. Don't rinse the rice: its starch is what makes it creamy.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cut the courgettes into 1 cm dice. Zest the lemon with a fine grater, then squeeze it. Pat the prawns dry with kitchen paper so they sear rather than boil.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the sauté pan over a high heat. Sear the prawns for 1 min on each side, just until they turn pink: they will finish cooking in the risotto. Set aside on a plate with their juices.
4. In the same pan, over a medium heat, add 1 tbsp oil and gently fry the onion for 4 to 5 min without letting it colour, then the garlic for 30 s. Add the rice and toast it for 2 min, stirring: the grains turn translucent around the edges.
5. Pour in a ladleful of hot stock and stir until it is almost absorbed, then add the next ladleful. Carry on like this over a medium heat, stirring often: the rice should always be just covered by a thin layer of liquid.
6. After 8 min, add the diced courgette and keep cooking ladle by ladle for about 10 more min. Taste: the rice is ready when it is tender but still slightly firm at the centre, and the texture is creamy and loose.
7. Return the prawns and their juices to the pan and heat for 1 to 2 min. Off the heat, add the butter in pieces, the Parmesan, the zest and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stir vigorously for 30 s, cover and leave to rest for 2 min.
8. Taste, adjust the salt and pepper, then add a little stock if the risotto has become too thick. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve straight away on warm plates: risotto sets as it cools.