The beauty of a risotto is a little goes a really long way! I only needed a handful of fresh seafood, some spring greens, some rocking tunes and a glass (or two) of bubbles to make this a meal of restaurant quality, cooked at home and without the restaurant price tag. Simple and delicious. Oops……..Emmalicious!
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes $$ Low – Medium Budget
Serves 4
Olive oil and a knob of butter for frying
20 green prawns, tails on
12 fat scallops, halved
2 cups of arborio rice
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of dry white wine
1 litre of chicken or fish stock (I prefer salt reduced), warmed
1 bunch of baby asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed and sliced diagonally (large asparagus is fine too)
1 cup of frozen baby peas
1 cup of frozen broad beans, blanched and outer skin removed
30gm of unsalted butter
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Grated parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges to serve
Heat a large, heavy based saucepan and add the oil and butter. When sizzling lightly fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Add the grated lemon rind and rice and stir, continuing to fry until all the rice grains are coated, approximately 1 minute. Squeeze in the lemon juice and wine and allow the rice to absorb the liquid before pouring in the stock, a little at a time and stirring frequently. Continue this process on a low heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the rice is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it.
When the rice is almost done add the seafood and veg and the last of the stock. Put a lid on and allow the veg and seafood to steam, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until just cooked. Stir in the butter until melted. Pop the lid on and allow to sit for another couple of minutes.
Divide the risotto among four serving plates. Grate over a little fresh parmesan, drizzle with the EVOO and serve with a wedge of lemon……..enjoy!