Recipe: Orange Risotto with Chicken Involtini and Sautéed Fennel

Thirteen kilograms of oranges is quite a lot. But they can be used in all sorts of ways, as hobby chef Silvio Iacconi demonstrates. The 27-year-old is currently studying at the Swiss Hotel Management School of Lucerne (SHL). His passion for cuisine began – as he says – “in the cradle.” That’s because his “Nonna”, his grandmother as well as his mother were keen amateur chefs, and so he started helping out in the kitchen at a young age.

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Main dish for 4 people; time: 60 minutes.

Note: This recipe is also suitable for other citrus fruits.

Preparing the orange risotto

Ingredients for the orange risotto

• 3 oranges (zest and juice)
• 1 onion
• 1 cup of risotto rice
• 1 cup of white wine
• 2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
• 40 g butter
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

Lightly fry the finely cut onion in a pot with around 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft and then sauté the risotto rice briefly. Douse with the white wine.

Regularly stir the risotto while adding the stock. This takes around 20 minutes. At the same time, finely grate the orange peel and squeeze out the juice.

After around 15 minutes, add the zest and the juice to the risotto and stir well.

Before serving the risotto, add plenty of butter and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Preparing the chicken involtini

Ingredients for the chicken involtini

• 1 orange (zest)
• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp ricotta
• 10 sage leaves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

Bring a pot of water to the boil.

Mix the ricotta with the finely cut sage leaves, orange zest and salt in a bowl.

Cut open the chicken breast in the middle. Season with salt on both sides and spread on 1 tablespoon of ricotta cream.

Roll up like a wrap and pack tightly in cling film. Repeat the same process with tin foil – like a wrapped sweet. Simmer the involtini in the water directly in the foil for 30 minutes. Then allow to cool briefly and carefully remove the foil and film. Then fry on all sides until golden.

Season with salt and pepper.

Preparing the sautéed fennel

Ingredients for the sautéed fennel

• 1 fennel
• 1 orange (zest and juice)
• Salt
• Olive oil

Cut the fennel lengthwise into pieces of equal size. Marinate with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Brown in a hot pan for 5 minutes. DO NOT TURN! Douse with the orange juice, immediately transfer into a bowl and cover with tin foil. Then allow to rest for around 5 minutes.

Serving

Place everything in a bowl and garnish with pistachios, parmesan flakes, sage leaves and orange zest.