Wine & Food Killers: Fennel, Lemon & Goat Cheese Risotto and Denavolo Catavela Bianco 2023

Once, I was asked to write an article about pairing beer with comfort food. I found the brief tough. After all, what is comfort food? 

For most of us, the answer is probably the stuff we ate when we were young. What our parents made for us when we were ill. The recipes handed down through our families. In other words, there’s no such thing as universal comfort food. The food we reach for when we’re in need of assurance can only ever be subjective, imbued with nostalgia and history. As such, I wouldn’t expect everyone to agree that risotto is the ultimate comfort food – but it certainly is mine.

Recently, still recovering from a winter virus, I found myself craving something simple and warming. I’m always surprised by how much I long for freshness at this time of year. As much as hearty stews and pasta bakes offer a warming antidote to mid-winter, I still gravitate towards the zesty, a hot knife to cut through the endless grey.

This risotto was the answer. There are no bells and whistles here, no culinary trickery – just a few simple ingredients, time spent stirring over the stove and bending towards its warmth. Goat cheese and fennel, lemon and wine; all feel fresh and enlivening, cheerful in their easy brightness. I departed from risotto tradition and added a couple teaspoons of dried mint, too, topped with a handful of lightly dressed rocket.

I paired it with a bottle of Denavolo Catavela Bianco (after I tipped a little into the dish). This might not seem like a natural February choice either. But with its musky, floral scent and stone-fruit roundness, it is a luscious treat and perfectly mirrors the risotto’s blend of creaminess and lightness. Together, the two may not be your Platonic ideal of comfort food, but they will help you feel better about whatever February has in store.

Fennel, Lemon & Goat Cheese Risotto
Serves 6-8

For the risotto:
2 fennel bulbs
6 échalion (banana) shallots
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fine sea salt, to taste
Approx. 2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
500g arborio or carnaroli rice
200ml white or amber wine
2 teaspoons dried mint
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
125g soft, rindless goat cheese
100g Parmigiano Reggiano

To garnish:
60g rocket
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano

1. First, prepare the fennel bulbs. Remove and discard the stems; slice off the stalks and set aside. Slice the fennel thinly. Next, peel the shallots and slice thinly.

2. Place a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the salted butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the fennel and season with fine sea salt. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until starting to soften. Next, add the shallots. Cook for 7–10 minutes more, or until both fennel and shallots are softened and just starting to turn golden.

3. Meanwhile, add the stock to a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Add the reserved fennel stalks to the stock to help flavour it.

4. Add the arborio or carnaroli rice to the fennel and shallots. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the rice is evenly coated in the butter and oil.

5. Pour the wine into the risotto pan; it will likely boil up vigorously. Cook for a minute or two, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed.

6. Next, add two ladles of stock to the rice. Stir constantly, or until the stock has been absorbed.

7. Repeat this process, adding the stock one ladle at a time to the risotto, and stirring until it’s absorbed. Continue for roughly 18–20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked but still slightly al dente, and the risotto flows like magma - you don’t want it to be too stiff or stodgy. You may not use all of the stock; conversely, you may also need a bit extra. Taste the risotto frequently to check how the rice is cooking, and add any additional liquid if needed. 

8. Shortly before the risotto is done, add the dried mint and the zest and juice of 1 lemon, mixing through until absorbed. Add the goat cheese and stir until evenly melted through; the risotto should look creamy and glossy. Using a microplane, grate over the Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

9. Right before serving, prepare the rocket garnish. Add the rocket to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and zest and juice of 1 lemon. Season with flaky sea salt to taste, and then quickly toss. 10. To serve, divide the risotto between plates or bowls. Garnish with the dressed rocket and grate over a little additional Parmigiano. Serve right away.