Fontana Recipe

The citizens of that cosy little gourmet ghetto which is Holywood, County down, were distressed and distraught when Colleen Bennett's smashing Fontana restaurant had a fire which forced it to close for several months (the same thing, incidentally, once happened to Alice Waters' legendary Chez Panisse restaurant, so Colleen is in good company). Happily, the room and the kitchen are now restored to their former funkyness, and the good folk of Holywood are happy once again. Here is the sort of thing which makes them happy: this crab and mussel risotto was cooked by Ms Bennett at the Belfast Festival of Food & Drink, and the audience went crazy for a taste. It's a demon dish. Fontana is at Main Street, Holywood, Co Down tel: (01232) 809908

Fontana Crab & Mussel Risotto

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bulb of finely chopped fennel
2 fresh red chillies (seeds and stem removed!), finely chopped
200g risotto rice
500g rope mussels, scrubbed clean
1 lemon salt and pepper
1 medium sized red onion
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cloves chopped garlic
300g crab meat
flat leaf parsley

Place a heavy-bottomed pan on a high heat (make sure it has a lid that fits).
Add the wine when the pot is hot. Quickly add the mussels and cover to steam.
The mussels are cooked in a minute.
Drain the pot into a colander, taking care to retain the cooking liquid.
Wash out the pot, place on a high heat, and add the oil and then the onion, fennel and chili.
When the vegetables are soft, add the garlic and fennel seed.
Stir to combine, and soften the garlic, and then add the rice.
Stir well to coat all the grains with the olive oil, adding more if it seems too dry.
Gradually add a ladle at a time of mussel liquid, until absorbed by the rice, stirring continuously. If you need more liquid, add water or wine.
When the rice is cooked but al dente, fold in the crab meat and mussels.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with flat leaf parsley.

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text © John & Sally McKenna
illustrations © Ken Buggy