Seafood Risotto

There are times in one’s life when a regular meal just doesn’t make the cut. For a special occasion or a special someone, you always need to have an ace up your sleeve. A spectacular dish.

What’s more spectacular than risotto? Only a seafood risotto.

One would think risotto is one of those dishes you can only order at a restaurant. Making the dish is definitely not a walk in the park, but it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. It might sound fancy and all, but it’s just rice.

For this recipe, we’re starting off with a pre-cooked lobster. And the shrimp and scallops are ready in minutes in the oven, it’s not cooking the seafood you should be worried about but getting the rice just right — al dente!

Cooking risotto is more an art form than a science, there’s lots of intuition involved. You just know when the rice is done, it’s something you can only learn by making the smooth, silky dish a few times. What better time than today to cook perfect seafood risotto?

The best part? The recipe calls for a crisp white wine. We know what that means, pouring ourselves a glass while we cook!

Remember always to cook with wine that you would actually drink and not the cheap stuff. The last time I made this recipe, I enjoyed a bottle of Pizzorno Family Estates Reserva Sauvignon Blanc, from Canelones, in Uruguay, and it was gorgeous.

Let’s make this risotto together; I promise it’s easier than you think.

Cuisine: Seafood
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 serving(s)
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Ingredients

  • 1 pre-cooked whole lobster
  • 8 shrimp
  • 6 scallops
  • 1½ quart of seafood stock
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 2 shallots
  • ¾ cup of white wine
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • Parsley to taste
  • Olive oil and butter as needed

Instructions

  1. Peel and devein your shrimp and clean your scallops.
  2. Place the shrimp and scallops on a lined sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and add three fingers of chopped parsley. Roast at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until pink and translucent. Reserve.
  3. Break down your whole lobster: Separate the tail, and the claws. Remove the shell from the tail and cut into chunks.
  4. Place a knob of butter and a good drizzle of olive oil into the bottom of a pot over medium heat.
  5. Add shallots and cook until they soften.
  6. Add rice while stirring until coated.
  7. Deglaze with the wine.
  8. When the liquid is absorbed, add half the seafood stock slowly while stirring until incorporated, then add more stock.
  9. Keep flame on medium heat and continue adding warm stock and stirring until absorbed and rice is ‘al dente.’
  10. Turn off heat, add another knob of butter, a little olive oil, the tomatoes, and parsley, mix well, and add the seafood.
  11. Put the lid on and let it rest for 1 minute.
  12. Plate the risotto. Enjoy!