Seafood Risotto

Back after a hiatus. Know what, it's no fun cooking for oneself. Well, this weekend was a nice break with an old friend. And here I am back with results of our experimentation in the kitchen.

This first recipe, I picked up during a trip to Adria, Italy. Had gone to the Adria International Raceway in Adria.

Couldn't resist posting this one. Still feel the adrenalin rushing through my veins. :P

  

The racing was super, but what took the cake was lunch at the restaurant. Impressed by the risotto, I cajoled the chef into giving me her recipe. Here's a recreation back home in Muscat.

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• Rice- 1/2 cup, best to use Risotto rice, or else Paella rice. Failing which you can always fall back on Basmati.
• Cooking shrimp- 200 gm
• Vegetable Stock- 2 cups
• Onion- 1/3; sliced thinly
• Olive oil- 2 tbsp
• Butter- 1/2 tbsp
• Parsley- 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste.

Preparations (45 mins):

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan on low setting. Add onions and saute till they become translucent. Add in the rice and keep stirring. 

Onions need to become soft and translucent.

Saute rice for five minutes with onions on low

 Once rice starts becoming transparent, add a little portion of the stock. Keep stirring. The key is not to let it boil but cook the rice slowly in the stock.

Add stock only a little at a time

Dry out stock before adding next portion

 
As the stock dries out add a little more, and repeat till almost all stock is used.

Add clean prawns only when rice is almost cooked

To finish off add chopped parsley and butter.

Add in the shrimps, remaining stock and cook for 10 minutes. Before finishing, sprinkle parsley (best is if you have fresh parsley or dried variety will make do) and stir in the butter. Serve hot as a second course.

Tips:

• The key to a perfect risotto is not boiling the rice but adding stock little by little. Know it feels a little undercooked by Indian standards, but remember here we  are using rice almost like a vegetable rather than the traditional way.