Stuffed, boneless bacon chop with
mushroom and fennel risotto

Serves 4                    prep time 15 mins         cooking time 15 mins

Ingredients:

4 nice steaks about 125g each
2 tbls sun-blushed tomatoes, chopped
6 tbls smoked cheese, grated (Wensleydale is good)
150g Arborio or risotto rice
½ a white onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 head fennel, chopped small
200g nice Portabella mushrooms, diced small
1 ltr chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbls crème fraiche or cream
1 tbls chopped parsley

Method:

Mix the tomatoes, parsley and half the cheese together and season with some milled pepper and a little salt.

Now make an incision in the side of the streak to create a pocket. Stuff the pocket with the mix and set aside for a minute.

For the risotto, add a little rapeseed oil to a pan with a little butter a soften the onion without colouring, add the garlic and fennel and cook for another minute, now throw in the rice and stir in well.

Meanwhile add a little rapeseed oil to a hot pan and seal the steaks in it on both sides, throw them in the oven for twelve minutes on 180c or gas 7

Back to the risotto, pour in the stock but just a cup full at a time, adding more only when the previous lot has been absorbed, after five minutes throw in the mushrooms and cook for another three minutes, you will now need to taste and see if the rice is cooked, if not, and if the pan needs it add a little more stock.

Finally add the cream and season to taste, arrange the risotto on a plate with the steak on top.

Beautiful!