Seafood Risotto

You will need:

400g  mixed raw seafood (prawns, squid, mussels and scallops)
300g superfino carnoroli rice
1 litre fish stock
1 onion chopped really finely
30g butter + 50g cubed chilled butter to finish
100ml dry white wine
juice of ½ lemon
bunch of fresh dill chopped finely
2 tblsp olive oil (for frying)
1 clove garlic
seasoning to taste

Method:

Heat a heavy based 30cm frying /shallow casserole dish to a medium heat and add 30g of the butter. When this is melted, add the finely chopped onions. Fry the onions until soft but not coloured (5- 10 mins).


Meanwhile in a large stock pot heat the fish stock until it is hot but not boiling.

Next add the rice and 'toast' slightly in the butter and onion mixture. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Now comes the part where you have to be attentive:  add a ladle full of the hot stock into the dish and stir with a wooden spoon until it to has evaporated. At this stage it's a good idea to ensure that the pan is not too hot; the stock needs to disappear, but not too quickly. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been used and the rice is cooked through. If you've run out of stock before you think that the rice is cooked then just use previously boiled hot water. The rice should be soft but still have a slight bite. Remember, you aren't making rice pudding.

Having an assistant would be wonderful but if you do not, and I never do, then you need to cook the seafood in a frying pan next to the rice. Heat a frying pan and add the olive oil and chopped garlic, fry off the seafood and add a squeeze of lemon juice and half the chopped dill.

When the rice has finished cooking, quickly stir in the chilled butter, this is called the mantecura and adds the creaminess to a risotto. Then stir through a squeeze of lemon juice, the seafood and the other half of the dill. Season well and eat.