Mondays are usually risotto days at Wyldelight Cottage as we tend to have roast rooster for Sunday lunch. Tonight I tried something a little different and it was bloody lovely so thought I’d do a quick post.

I love smoked Welsh butter. Caernarfon Butter is lovely and salty and when smoked at the Derimon smokehouse on Anglesey it produces the most wonderful creamy, smoky butter that is invaluable in my kitchen. Now I know this is no traditional Italian risotto but it’s delicious never the less as the sweet nutty sherry, smoky salty butter and cheese and fresh lemon and fennel just make my mouth all happy.

Ingredients:

• smoked Welsh butter
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• teaspoon fennel seeds
• Carnaroli rice
• wineglass of cream sherry
• homemade chicken stock
• dried garlic slivers
• leftover roast rooster
• chopped fennel fronds
• zest of 1 lemon
• extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground pepper and sea salt
• Grana Padano cheese

Method:

1. Have your stock simmering away in a big saucepan. Melt a big knob of smoked butter in a pan, add your fennel seeds then soften your onion.
2. Add your rice, stir to coat in the butter and gently fry until the rice grains start to crack then add your sherry and give a good stir.  This will quickly be absorbed by the rice.
3. Start adding your hot stock a ladle full at a time and storing until it is absorbed before adding the next.
4. When nearly done add your cooked rooster and garlic slivers and stir.
5. Continue to add the hot stock until the risotto is creamy but still has a bit of bite to it then add another knob of smoked butter and a handful of grated Grana Padano, taste and season before covering and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
6. Chop some fennel fronds and stir through the risotto just before serving. Plate up, zest the lemon over the top, sprinkle with more fennel, some more Grana Padano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.