In Luxembourg and in Germany, people really love wild garlic, so much that wild garlic season in early spring is a proper celebration. During that time, people tend to put Bärlauch into everything and they make pestos and flavoured butters with it.
The versatile herb tastes like really fresh garlic infused with a chive dimension – elevating this simple prawn risotto to something really special.
Prep: 40 min – Serves 4 – Easy
8 shallots
3 tbsp olive oil
400g risotto rice (such as Arborio)
100ml white wine
850ml vegetable stock
400g prawns, peeled and deveined
12 tbsp fresh wild garlic, chopped
20g butter
30g parmesan, grated
salt and pepper
Peel and finely chop the shallots. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the shallots for a 5 minutes until translucent and melting.
Add the rice and fry for another 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir until all the wine has been absorbed. Add the vegetable stock in small batches, always 100ml at a time, and stir until dissolved before adding more.
In a frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, add the prawns, season with salt and pepper and fry for 5 minutes until cooked through.
After half of the stock has been used, add the cooked prawns to the risotto, together with 8 tablespoons of the chopped wild garlic and continue adding stock and stirring.
Once all the stock has been used up, add the butter and parmesan, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the remaining wild garlic over the risotto.
TIP: If it’s not wild garlic season, you could make this with regular garlic: Once the shallots are soft, add 3 crushed garlic cloves and fry for another minute before adding the rice. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil before serving.
