BY JOHN BISHOP I Bishops • Recipe from: Fresh – Seasonal recipes made with local foods Publ: Douglas & Mcintyre Serves 4 people
INGREDIENTS:
INGREDIENTS – WILD RICE CASSEROLE
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup washed wild rice
• 3 cups fish or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• 1 tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
INGREDIENTS – BRAISED FENNEL BULB
• 1 lb. Fresh fennel bulb (l large or 2 medium) cut in quarters lengthwise
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fennel fronds
• 1 tsp salt
INGREDIENTS – BARBECUED SPOT PRAWNS
• 24 spot prawns (about 1 ¼ Ibs.), peeled, de-veined, tail on
• 8 wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 2 – 3 hours
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs (e.g. basil, thyme, tarragon)
• 4 lemon wedges, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wild Rice Casserole
• Preheat oven to 3750
• Melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat
• Add onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes
• Add rice, stir in stock, lemon zest, salt & pepper
• Increase heat to medium-high
• Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat
• Transfer ingredients to an oven-proof casserole dish with a lid
• Bake covered for 35 minutes
Braised Fennel Bulb
• Preheat oven to 3750 F
• Place fennel quarters into a medium bowl and pour butter over them
• Sprinkle with fennel fronds and season with salt
• Toss lightly to coat well
• Transfer seasoned fennel to shallow roasting pan
• Roast for 45 minutes, turning fennel occasionally, until caramelized and tender
• Remove from oven, set aside and keep warm
Barbequed Spot Prawns
• Preheat barbecue to medium-high heat
• Place 6 prawns side by side on a plate
• Thread a single skewer through one end of each of these prawns to create one skewer with 6 prawns
• Thread a second skewer through the other end of the same 6 prawns
• Repeat with the remaining prawns and skewers
• Place the skewers on a baking sheet and brush both sides of the prawns with olive oil
• Rub the prawns with garlic and season with herbs plus a light shake of salt
• Grill the prawns 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until lightly charred and the colour changes
TO SERVE
• Mound 1 lh cups of wild rice on each warmed plate
• Top with a prawn skewer and arrange the braised fennel around the edges
• Garnish with a lemon wedge
