Greek Prawn, Tomato and Fetta Risotto

Preparation time
15 mins
Cooking time
35 mins
Difficulty
Moderate
Serves
4 people
Meal course
Dinner
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Greek Prawn, Tomato and Fetta Risotto
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I made this dish last night at one of my regular Adelaide Central Market cooking demos, and the response was overwhelming. Everyone wanted the recipe, so here it is!
And OK, I’m aware that risotto is an Italian dish, but one day I asked myself “Why, when rice is also a totally Greek ingredient, can’t I combine the two cuisines…?” And, hence, this Greek Prawn, Tomato and Fetta Risotto was born.
This flavour combination just works. It’s so fresh and vibrant especially with the addition of the salsa.

People are sometimes fearful of cooking Risottos – usually after making a bad one, but the key is to stick to the rice/stock ratio and keep a watchful eye over it on the stove. I actually find the process quite therapeutic and no I’m not claiming to be a Risotto expert – far from it, but I’ve made and eaten many, many risotto’s so you can trust me when I tell you this recipe and liquid to rice ratio works. You can also substitute the first cup of stock for wine or be a purist like the old school Italian’s and use water instead of stock. Once you’ve got the hang of it, the flavour combinations are literally endless.
Enjoy!

 

 

500gms Green King Prawn meat
½ bulb of Fennel, finely diced
1 Brown Onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ cups of Arborio rice
6 cups good quality Chicken Stock
400gm tin of chopped Italian Tomatoes
½ small bunch of fresh Dill, roughly chopped
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
100g butter – cubed
100gms Greek Fetta

Tomato & Dill Salsa
200gms Grape Tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tbs Fresh Dill, finely chopped
2 tbs Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

  1. Slice the Prawns lengthways straight through the spine into two pieces. Set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan, heat up the stock until it has come to a slow simmer. Leave simmering on stove.
  3. In a large saucepan, on a medium heat cook the fennel, onion and garlic in 4 tbs of oil. Cook slowly until the vegetables are transparent. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously until rice is becoming transparent and glazed.
  4. Begin adding 1-2 ladlefuls of the simmering stock, allowing the rice to absorb the stock before adding more. The risotto should be constantly at a simmer. This will take around 15 – 20 minutes. Stir frequently and do not leave the risotto for any extended periods at this stage.
  5. Add the can of tomatoes, raw prawn meat and dill with the last ladle of stock. Stir for another minute – the rice should now be just under cooked with a slight bite and there will still be quite a bit of liquid in the pot - never fear this is normal. Add the salt and pepper to taste and dot over the butter without stirring, and then place the lid on the pot and immediately take off the heat. Leave for 5 minutes to rest and finish cooking from the residual heat.
  6. To make the salsa – Combine all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Season well and set aside to rest until ready to serve.
  7. To Serve – Ladle the rested Risotto into your serving bowls, crumble over the fetta and serve with the Salsa.
  8. *** Tip: Risotto is meant to be a loose dish with a slight bite, if the rice is gluggy and thick you’ve let it cook for too long. Don’t be tempted to keep cooking after the last step, as the rice will drink up the last of the stock it needs and will be perfectly al dente, trust me!!
  9. *** Tip: There are 2 main reasons that I slice the prawns into halves. Firstly, it doubles the amount of meat, so you get a piece of prawn in almost every bite. Secondly, it ensures they get a super quick and perfect cook in the resting risotto.
  10. *** Tip: I always make my risotto's in my favourite cast iron 28cm chasseur French oven pot - I even used it in my demo. The main thing to look for is a sturdy lidded pot or saute pan (no $5 metal cheapies please) with a large base and medium sides. This will allow the rice room to cook evenly, allow adequate liquid evaporation during cooking and also help with the final resting stage by retaining residual heat in the pot. Sounds very technical but it really isn't! Just invest in at least one decent piece of cookware and you can never go wrong in the kitchen :)

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