…only friends who haven’t met, as the saying goes. Sentimental? Maybe, but we’re falling for it anyway since we found this lovely quote on Molly Corinne’s blog. 

Sometimes moms know just what to do to make things better. When my mom was at Costco today, she bought me a two pound loaf of Dubliner Cheese. Tasty? Hell yes. If you haven’t tried it yet, go, get, eat, and repeat. A little bit of happiness will ensue, especially if you pass it along.

Downright friendly of you to say so, Molly Corinne. And with such a big block of Dubliner, here’s a very tasty impress-the-neighbours idea for how to use some of it.

Lemon and Fennel Risotto with Saffron and Dubliner Irish Cheese

Forget the stress of a have-to-think-about-this-seriously dinner. This one will actually help you to unwind as you prepare it, stirring to tease out the flavours and unwind your day in the heavenly aromas.

Dinner for six? You’ll need
1/2 tsp saffron strands; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 large bulb of fennel, sliced thinly; 450g risotto rice; 1/3 cup of warm red or white wine; about 2 litres of hot stock, either vegetable or chicken; grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; another 4 tbsp butter; 150g grated Dubliner Cheese; sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper 

• Take some of the chopped onion with the slices of fennel and saffron strands. Sauté the mixture in the olive oil and butter, and when it has browned remove it. Leave the drippings in the pot.
• Next stir in the rice and sauté it too for about 10 minutes until it becomes translucent. Stir it constantly to keep it from sticking.
• Add the sautéed seasonings to the mixture and stir in a third of a cup of the wine. (It’s warmed so that it doesn’t keep the rice from cooking through to the centre.) Once the wine has evaporated add your stock, continually stirring, until the rice is almost al dente.
• Add the zest and lemon juice. Stir in the additional four tablespoons of butter and the grated Dubliner, cover the risotto, and turn off the flame. Let it sit, covered, for two to three minutes, and serve.
• Use the sea salt and black pepper sparingly as required.