Prawn Asparagus And Saffron Risotto Recipes

Steps:

• Bring 1litre/13⁄4pints water to the boil in a large pan, add 1 tbsp salt, then tip in the prawns, garlic and bay and return to the boil for 3-5 minutes until cooked, depending on the size of the prawns. Cool then shell the prawns. If they are large, you may wish to slice them, but leave smaller ones whole. Return the heads and shells to the stock and continue to boil for 20 minutes.
• Put a medium size, heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid on a low heat. Tip in the olive oil and 25g/1oz of the butter, and cook the shallots or onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add 1 tbsp of stock to stop them colouring, if necessary.
• Stir in the rice so it absorbs all the buttery oil. When it is opaque and rustling as you stir, pour in all the wine. Keep stirring while the rice absorbs the wine - it should not evaporate into the air, so keep the heat low.
• Meanwhile, strain the stock, return to the pan, top up with water and turn up the heat. Turn up the heat under the rice, too, as you need a moderate to lively heat. Stir the rice and add stock as needed to keep a veil of water above the level of rice for 10 minutes.
• Add the prawns and tomato purée. From this point on I start to add less and less stock every time, to avoid the risk of forcing the rice to absorb too much stock. Start to taste the odd grain of rice. You want to stop cooking when it still has a tiny crunchy uncooked bit in the centre.
• Season the risotto with salt and white pepper. Take the pan off the heat, add the remaining butter and enough stock to cover the risotto by about 2.5-5cm/1-2in, you have to judge how much it will absorb. Stir well, cover and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve at once.

Steps:

• Snap the asparagus to remove woody ends, then trim. Arrange 4-5 spears in a row and thread onto 2 short skewers (if using wooden skewers, pre-soak for 10 mins). Brush lightly with olive oil, and season. Peel the prawns, leaving the tails on. Cut down the backs to remove the black intestines. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• To make the rouille, put the egg, vinegar, mustard and seasoning in the bowl of a stick blender. Add all the oil. Put the blender in the base of the bowl and turn it on. Slowly lift the blender through the mixture until it has thickened to mayonnaise. Put the garlic, pepper, saffron and a little salt in a mortar and grind with the pestle to make a smooth paste. Add to the mayo and mix well.
• Barbecue or grill the asparagus for 3-4 mins, turning once, until tender. Heat half the oil in a pan (over the barbecue if possible), stir in the prawns and cook for a few mins until the prawns are evenly pink. Add the lemon zest and juice, and the remaining oil. Season and heat through until bubbling.
• Place a raft of asparagus on each plate and divide the basil and salad leaves between each. Spoon some prawns over the leaves with some of the pan juices. Serve with the rouille on the side.