Stuff you!

This is a great late summer dish, and although the risotto takes a while to cook, you can be firing up the BBQ at the same time. Soak toothpicks / skewers at the start of the process too, to stop them burning on the BBQ.

You can swap the fennel for rucola or basil, depending on your preference.Serves 6

You will need:

6 calamari

For the risotto:

2 mugs of rice

2 onions, diced

2 tblsp olive oil

large glass of white wine

1 pint of vegetable stock

Seasoning

For the fennel pesto:

200g fennel fronds

1 mug olive oil

1/2 mug toasted pine nuts

2 tbsps Parmesan, grated

Salt

Make the risotto by frying the onions in the oil till translucent, and then adding the rice, making sure it is coated thoroughly before adding stock and wine (alternately) till the rice is cooked. Season to taste

For the pesto, put the roughly chopped fennel fronds a pinch of salt and toasted pine nuts to the blender and zap a couple of times. The drizzle the oil in slowly while pulsing the blender. Add the Parmesan.

Mix the rice and pesto together, close one end of the calamari with a toothpick and stuff with the mixture. Close the other end and grill on the BBQ for a couple of minutes each side, till the flesh is translucent. Serve with salad.

Monique Chambers

Monique started indulge in 2011 and has since created Indulge Me GIFT and Indulge Me FOOD and volume 1 of The Artists Directory - Malta. A marketing professional by trade, Monique's passion is to promote local talent and Malta in general. Free time is her biggest indulgence, when she can tinker in her craft room or the kitchen, or be selfish with a book, the sofa and good glass of wine (of course, wearing something beautiful and with freshly coiffed hair!)