Risotto of Roasted Fennel & Garlic

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place the fennel in a roasting pan and the head of garlic on a separate oven tray
2. Drizzle both with a little oil, salt and pepper- add the sprigs of thyme to the the fennel
3. Place both the fennel and the garlic in the middle shelf of the oven for around 60 mins or until soft, the fennel should be a bit caramelized and golden
4. Heat the filtered water
5. In a separate large pan heat the oil, add the star anise, onions and celery. Fry on a low heat for about 4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened
6. Add the Urban Forager Stock Concentrate and squeeze in the lovely sticky roasted garlic, discard the skins
7. Stir and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the uncooked rice and turn up the heat
8. Stir and continue to fry until the rice looks slightly translucent (about a minute)
9. Add the wine and continue stirring until the harsh alcohol smell has evaporated and the wine has cooked into the the rice
10. Add the first ladle of hot water and turn down the heat to a high simmer
11. As the liquid becomes absorbed – continue to add ladles of water to the pan
12. Make sure each ladleful is absorbed before adding the next one
13. Add the roasted fennel (chop roughly before adding to the risotto if the pieces are bit large)
14. The rice should take around 15-20 mins to cook. Taste the rice- it should be soft with a little bite to it
15. Season if needed by adding more Urban Forager Stock Concentrate
16. Remove pan from the heat and take out the star anise. Add the mascarpone, parmesan and butter
17. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for a couple of minutes. Garnish with the fennel fronds and serve with a garden salad.