PRAWN COURGETTE AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

Now, this could be a nice recipe for your Valentine's dinner. Put the kids to bed early , light the candles and serve this risotto after a nice starter ( like prawn and avocado nests or scallops au gratin - recipe will follow shortly- mussels, or just salmon croutons).

Ingredients for 2 people:

100 g Carnaroli rice
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
350 ml vegetable stock ( or fish stock you can make using the heads and the shells of the prawns)
150 g king or tiger prawns (preferably with shell on)
1 medium courgette, cut into small  cubes
1 sachet of saffron
A small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
15 g butter

I advise you to use shell-on prawns because the shells are full of flavour and really add a special taste to your risotto. So remove the heads and the body shell of the prawns and put aside the flesh.

Now make your own stock boiling the water and adding the heads and the shells.

In a  thick-bottomed pan, start by heating the olive oil. Fry the shallot in the oil for a couple of minutes, then add the courgettes. Cook for about five minutes, then add the rice.

At this point I usually turn on the timer: the risotto needs 20 minutes to be ready.

Stir it in until its grains become slightly translucent. Now add the prawns  and give it a quick stir.

Pour in the hot stock, one ladle at a time, stirring regularly. Make sure the first one has been completely absorbed before the next.

Five minutes before the rice is cooked, add the saffron and stir well.

When the rice is cooked, turn the gas off, add the chopped parsley, salt, pepper and butter , stir well and serve immediately.