Recipes › Peas (Garden) › Garden Pea and Prawn Risotto with Lemon and Tarragon
Garden Pea and Prawn Risotto with Lemon and Tarragon
A proper summery risotto where sweet garden peas carry as much weight as the prawns, folded through at the end so they stay bright and tender. Tarragon brings an anise note that lifts the whole thing without overpowering. This is weekend cooking that feels special but is genuinely achievable.
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Ingredients
- 400 garden peas, shelled weight, fresh or briefly blanched
- 300 raw king prawns, peeled and deveinedor use cooked prawns, added at the very end
- 320 g arborio rice
- 150 ml dry white wineor use extra stock and a squeeze of lemon
- 1400 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock, kept at a low simmer
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 50 g unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 60 g Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 15 fresh tarragon, leaves picked and roughly choppedor use fresh basil
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper
Contains: crustaceans, milk, sulphites.
Method
- Warm the stock in a saucepan over low heat and keep it at a gentle simmer throughout cooking — cold stock added to risotto kills the starch activity and will make it gluey.About 5 min
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.About 6 min
- Add the rice and stir well to coat every grain in the oil. Toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the grains look slightly translucent.About 2 min
- Pour in the white wine and stir until it has been completely absorbed by the rice.About 2 min
- Add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each addition is almost fully absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 18–20 minutes until the rice is just cooked through with a slight bite.About 20 min
- While the risotto finishes, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Season the prawns with salt and pepper and fry for 2 minutes, turning once, until pink and just cooked through. Set aside.About 3 min
- Stir the garden peas into the risotto and cook for 2 minutes — they need just enough heat to warm through and lose their raw edge without going grey.About 2 min
- Remove the pan from the heat. Beat in the cold butter cubes and grated Parmesan, then stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and most of the tarragon. Check seasoning.About 2 min
- Divide the risotto between warm bowls, arrange the prawns on top, and scatter over the remaining tarragon. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Do not add the peas earlier than step 7 — they only need 2 minutes and will turn khaki and mushy if overcooked. Their freshness is what makes this dish.
- The mantecatura (beating in cold butter off the heat) is what gives risotto its glossy, creamy consistency. Do not skip it and do not do it over heat.
- If your peas are freshly podded and very young, you can stir half of them in blended or roughly crushed for a more intense pea flavour throughout the risotto.
Ring the changes
- Leave out the prawns and double the peas for a fully vegetarian version — add a handful of podded broad beans alongside the peas for extra body.
- Swap the tarragon for fresh mint and add a crumble of soft goat's cheese at the end instead of the Parmesan.
Keeping it
Risotto does not keep well — the texture deteriorates as the rice continues to absorb liquid. If you must store it, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 day and reheat gently with a splash of hot stock, stirring to loosen.
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