Lemon & Fennel Risotto

Ah, risotto...you have such a spotty reputation:  on one hand, you're delicious and flavorful; on the other, you're time consuming and patience-testing.

And this lemon and fennel risotto is no different.

For years, I've only heard negative feedback on making risotto and because of this, I've steered clear of ever attempting it.  In my opinion, it falls in the same category as roasted beets - good in theory, but perhaps not worth the effort and should be left to the professionals.  In any case, I was making a special dinner one night and decided to take the plunge and make risotto.  The result?  As expected...but it complimented a roasted herb salmon dish and even yielded a second meal of risotto balls.

Lemon & Fennel Risotto

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large fennel bulbs
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1 small white onion (chopped)
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1 glass (4 oz) white wine
1/2 peas (frozen)
2 fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1 tbsp butter
1/2 freshly grated parmesan

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove green stalks from fennel and remove the outer layer from the bulbs.    Cut the bulbs into 1 inch pieces.  Place the fennel pieces in a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil, honey, and thyme.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until they start to carmelize.  Be sure to turn the fennel over while roasted to ensure the fennel doesn't burn.

Meanwhile, bring the broth to a low simmer in a small saucepan.

In another saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil and add the white onion.  Saute until the onion is soft and slightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Once the onion is soft, add the rice and the white wine, stirring until the rice is completely absorbed/evaporated.  Add the broth, a ladle at a time, and stir into the rice until it's almost full incorporated, keeping the broth at a low simmer the entire time.  Once this occurs, add another ladle of broth.  Continue this process until all of the wine is incorporated.  During the last ladle-full of broth, add the peas.

Remove the rice from the heat and add the lemon juice.  Let the rice and lemon sit in a covered pan for five minutes.  Next, add the lemon zest, creme fraiche, butter, parmesan, and fennel and mix until fully incorporated.