Fennel, Fennel, Fennel

If you don't like aniseed or fennel, this recipe isn't for you, it's packed full of it.
I originally planned to make this risotto with normal chicken stock, but this afternoon, whilst rooting through my tea draw, trying to decide on a flavour, I came across a lonely, un-loved box of Dr Stuart's wild fennel tea. Fennel stock in fennel risotto? Being a lover of all things aniseed, fennel overload is my idea of bliss.




Pan fried salmon fillet with fennel and courgette risotto (serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 salmon fillet
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1l water
• 1 chicken stock jelly (the ones with MPW's ugly mug all over it)
• 2 fennel tea bag
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreeks
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 knob of butter (I used margarine to keep the fat down)
• 250ml dry white wine (I used a Chardonnay. Lots of people say cheap wine is fine for cooking, but as you're only using a glass, why not buy a better one that's actually drinkable?)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 medium sized courgette
• 1 fennel bulb
  
• 3 shallots
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
• Parmigiana (I used pecorino but it wasn't quite salty enough)
• Zest of 1 un-waxed lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Bay Leaf
  

Method:

• Start by finely slicing your garlic and shallots and set aside in a bowl (best to get the fiddly bits out the way).
• Add 500ml water to a saucepan and bringing to the boil. Add the tea bags, fennel seeds, fenugreeek seeds, bay leaf and balsamic and leave to boil for around 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the outer layer of the fennel bulb and slice thinly, similar to the way you'd chop on onion. Add a little oil to the bottom of a pan and add sliced fennel. Coat the fennel with the oil for around 2 minutes. Add a tbsp of lemon juice to stop the fennel catching on the bottom. Pop a lid on the pan and leave to cook for around 10 minutes on a medium-high heat.
• Take your fennel tea off the heat and strain, making sure to keep the water. Return water to the pan, add another 500ml of water, bring to the boil and add the chicken stock jelly. Stir until dissolved and your stock is ready to go!
• Remove the fennel from the heat and set aside in a bowl until later. Put the same pan back on a medium-high heat, add half the butter and a little olive oil to stop the butter burning.
  
• Add the sliced shallots and garlic and cook until they only start to turn brown. Add the rice, coat with the juices and leave for a minute or so. Now add half of the wine and stir until the rice has absorbed half the wine, now add a ladle of stock.
• When the rice has absorbed the stock, add the sliced fennel and then gradually add a ladle of stock a time, waiting for the rice to absorb it before adding the next ladle. Continue this for 30 minutes until the rice becomes soft but still has bite. At this point, add the courgettes (sliced), the lemon zest and the remaining wine. Continue adding stock, ladle at a time until the rice is completely cooked.
• Around 5 minutes before your risotto is due to be ready, take the salmon fillets and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Take a frying pan to a medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of olive oil until sizzling. Add the fillets, skin side down, to the pan ensuring the shake them for the first 20 seconds to avoid sticking. Cook skin side down for around 2 minutes until the skin is crispy. Flip over the fillet and cook for around 3 more minutes until the salmon is firmer but not dry. Remove from pan and leave to rest for 2 minutes.
• For a finishing touch to the risotto, grate over about 1/4 cup of parmesan and 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley and stir though.
• Serve risotto in a deep bowl with the salmon fillet skin side up on the top. Sprinkle with a little parsley (to be showy) and you're done!