André de Forêt's sour-sweet lemon risotto with fried prawns

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g risotto rice
• 250 g shallot(s)
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 800 ml fish stock
• 700 ml dry white wine, e.g. Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling or non-alcoholic
• 6 organic lemons, peel and juice
• 300 g Parmesan or Grana Padano
• 200 g butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 250 g honey
• 400 g king prawns, fresh or frozen
• 2 tbsp germ oil
• n. B. Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• 1 tsp lemon pepper, coarsely crushed
• 1 tsp lemongrass, dried or fresh, optional
• 1 tsp turmeric powder, optional
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, lighter, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Wash the lemons under hot water and dry with a fresh towel. Grate the lemon zest, e.g., with a nutmeg or cheese grater. Halve the lemons and squeeze out the juice. Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. Peel the shallots and chop into small cubes. Peel the garlic and finely dice it. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, taking care not to brown it. When the butter is melted, sauté the risotto rice and diced shallots for 1-2 minutes until translucent, taking care not to brown them. After about 1 minute, add half of the honey and continue to sauté. Deglaze with the vegetable stock, fish stock, and wine. Add half of the garlic, the lemon zest, and half of the lemon juice, along with the lemongrass and turmeric. If you want to be precise, mix the stock and wine in a separate pot beforehand and keep them hot, but not boiling, so that you can add the liquid to the risotto little by little, in the classic way, to achieve the perfect consistency. However, I’ve also had good experiences adding it straight away from the boil to deglaze the rice, provided you stick to the quantities specified. But of course, that’s up to you. Simmer the risotto, stirring constantly, adding more hot stock and wine if necessary, until the rice is cooked and the liquid has reached a slightly creamy consistency. Taste until you reach the desired consistency, between al dente and soft. While the risotto is cooking, heat the oil in a pan and fry the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and add the second half of the garlic. When the risotto has the desired consistency, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and season to taste with the remaining lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar if desired, the remaining honey, salt, and pepper. I like it best when it tastes really lemony and sour, but also slightly sweet. Serve the risotto on plates and arrange the shrimp on top. Optionally, garnish with fresh lemongrass.