Tomato & Prawn Risotto with Pangrattato Topping
A creamy, flavourful risotto with the sweetness of tomato and prawns, finished with a zesty, golden pangrattato for crunch. This dish feels wonderfully luxurious but is surprisingly simple — especially when made in a steam oven.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Risotto:
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup good-quality Arborio rice
600 ml chicken stock
½ cup tomato purée
Butter
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
10 large prawns, cut in half
8 large whole prawns
1 tsp chilli flakes
Fresh basil leaves, to serve
Parmesan cheese, grated
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper, to taste
Pangrattato
4 slices bread
1 tsp dried fennel seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
Rind of ½ lemon
Pinch sea salt flakes
Method:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread breadcrumbs evenly on a lined baking tray.
Bake until golden brown, then remove and allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
Cook’s Tip:
Pangrattato can be frozen, kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or stored in the pantry for 1 week. Leftover bread can also be frozen in a snap-lock bag for future batches.
Risotto Method
Preheat the steam oven to 100°C (steam function).
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and a generous glug of EVOO.
Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and cook gently until softened.
Pour in the white wine and increase the heat slightly to deglaze the pan, allowing most of the liquid to reduce.
Stir in the Arborio rice, coating each grain in the oil and butter mixture.
Transfer the rice mixture to a solid stainless steel oven dish. Add the stock and tomato purée and stir to combine.
Place in the preheated steam oven and cook for 25 minutes.
With 5 minutes remaining, add the chopped prawns and continue cooking until the prawns are just cooked through (you may need an extra few minutes depending on their size).
Remove from the oven and stir through a knob of butter, a handful of grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and seasoning to taste. Cover and set aside while you cook the whole prawns.
Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of EVOO and 1 tsp chilli flakes. Add the whole prawns and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
To Serve
Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with two whole prawns per serve. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, crunchy pangrattato, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Cook’s Tip
The steam oven is fantastic for risottos — no stirring, no babysitting, and always a perfectly creamy result.
