LEMON, PARSLEY & FENNEL RISOTTO

I had the most amazing Fennel & lemon risotto in a vegetarian restaurant in Brighton a few years ago, that I've tried to re create here. I always thought I hated fennel, but that meal converted me!
This made the perfect supper after a beautiful evening walk with kia the whippet & honestly, cooked this way the fennel tasted pretty good :)

SERVES 2
150g risotto rice
1 large fennel bulb
1 large shallot or small onion
olive oil
handful fresh, chopped, flat leaf parsley
1 organic (or unwaxed) lemon
75ml white wine
600ml vegetable stock  (or chicken )
25g butter cut into cubes
25g parmesan cheese 

NB the key to a great tasting risotto is a great tasting stock. if you are making your own stock, then add veggies & herbs that work well together and will give a strong flavour. eg personally I don't love cabbage or broccoli in stock, but carrots, celery, bay leaf, garlic are all great.  If you have a favourite brand of stock cube then that's fine too.

1 Chop off and discard any dark green leafy bits off the fennel bulb, then slice finely. Peel & chop the shallot. Zest your lemon, then slice in half (Shown below.)

2  Pour 1 tablespoon of light olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer to cook with) into a frying pan, & cook the fennel and onion over a medium high heat, util softened and starting to colour.

3 Add the rice, stir it in so that its well coated in the oil, (add some more oil if necessary) Then add the white wine & a ladel full (about 75ml) of stock.

4 Add the zest & the juice of a half a lemon. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer (ie so that it's very gently bubbling away, and this is where you leave the heat).

5  Keep stirring so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom, and when all the liquid has been absorbed add another ladel full of stock and repeat as above.

4 Keep adding stock & until its all gone and the rice is cooked, keep stirring too!

5 TROUBLE SHOOTER. If all the stock has been absorbed & the rice still isn't cooked, just add extra stock and cover the pan with a lid.

6 When the rice is cooked beat in 25g cubed unsalted butter & 25g parmesan (or vegan alternatives.) Season to taste. Decorate with the chopped flat leaf parsley & a little more lemon zest.