Risotto al Pesce Spada e Finocchietto

Method

1. Prepare the vegetable broth: roughly chop celery, carrot, shallot (or onion), garlic, cherry tomatoes, wild fennel, and add water (1.5 L), salt, and optional swordfish bones/trimmings. Cook for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop parsley and set aside.
3. Prepare the avocado: halve, remove pit, scoop out the flesh and mash with a fork until creamy. Season with salt, pepper, and optionally a few drops of lemon juice.
4. Grill the swordfish: season with salt and cook 2 minutes per side over high heat to get the Maillard reaction. Cut into cubes. Save trimmings for the broth.
5. Toast the rice: in a separate pan, toast the rice for 2-3 minutes until it turns whitish and smells like bread.
6. In a wide pan, sauté the minced shallot with a drizzle of olive oil and the anchovy fillets over low heat until the anchovies dissolve and the shallot is translucent.
7. Add the toasted rice, stir well, raise the heat. Deglaze with dry white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
8. Add the grilled swordfish cubes and mix.
9. Start adding hot broth one ladle at a time, keeping the rice in suspension (by tossing or stirring). Cook for 15-18 minutes, adding broth as needed.
10. When the rice is almost done, stir in some freshly chopped wild fennel.
11. Turn off the heat. Add the parsley, pepper, and salt if needed. Add the avocado cream and mantecatura vigorously.
12. Cover and let rest for 1-2 minutes.
13. Serve with lemon zest shavings, some swordfish cubes, fresh wild fennel, cooked carrot julienne, freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.