Slow Suppes--Shimp and Crab Risotto
Here is a fabulous recipe!
Our good friend, slow traveler and fellow blogger Jerry posted this one. Thanks, Jerry.
Risotto al Granchio e Gamberi
Ingredients:
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and each cut into 4 or 5 pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken or fish broth or water
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups medium-grain rice such as arborio, vialone nano or carnaroli
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 lb. fresh-cooked crabmeat, picked over to remove any shell fragments
In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and 2 Tbs. of the parsley in 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, stirring once or twice, until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, just until the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside. Add the broth to the saucepan and bring just barely to a simmer.
In a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the kernels are hot and coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring often, until the liquid is absorbed.
Add the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and making sure the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. When the rice is about half cooked, stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. The risotto is done when the rice grains are creamy on the outside and firm yet tender to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes total. Rice varies, so you may not need all of the broth or you may need more. If more liquid is required, use hot water.
Stir in the shrimp and crabmeat and cook, stirring, just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 Tbs. each oil and parsley. Spoon the risotto into warmed soup bowls and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8
For a while I was thinking the rice would never cook. It definitely took longer than 25 minutes but I had just enough liquid and it came together beautifully at the end.
For the broth, I used 1 cup of bottled clam juice and the rest water.We are so lucky here to be able to buy fresh, local blue crab and sweet wild shrimp. I used the whole pound of crab--what the heck?
On the original Williams Sonoma recipe it suggests throwing in a handful of peas at the end, so I thawed out about 1/2 cup and added them with the seafood with, I have to admit, about a tablespoon of butter. The result could have been a little soupier "allonda" for my taste but the flavor was really nice. I loved that the shrimp and crab sang through and the rice was such a lovely background.
We drank an Oregon Pinot Gris with it, which I thought went perfectly.
We made a nice, light salad with arugula, kale, mixed baby lettuces, celery, toasted almonds, fresh orange segments and a citrus vinegrette.
This is not a great dinner party recipe because it requires lots of attention and them has to be served quickly. But I made it for Cecelia's birthday--not too formal, at all.
We all had clean plates and there's enough left over for at least 2 more full portions.
