Risotto ai Frutti di Mare. The name itself sounds as decadent as this dish actually tastes. If you have never had risotto, imagine a rich and creamy rice/pasta. In this recipe, it is made even better by loading it with seafood; specifically, shrimp, scallops and mussels. In my dish, I utilized packaged pre-cooked and shelled mussels, however you can certainly steam your own in white wine and garlic – just be sure to de-shell prior to adding. Be prepared, as this dish requires a lot of attention. The key is heating the broth prior to starting and constantly stirring throughout to create the creamy texture – so get those arm muscles ready!
Risotto can be made different ways with many different mix-ins. You can make it with white wine (as seen here), red wine, marsala wine, tomato based sauces and various broths. Seafood and mushroom are my favorite types, however you can get very creative and add any protein or veggie to your liking. Plain risottos can even be made to soak up the juices of various meats or fish served over top. In this dish, I added asparagus to brighten it up, however I would love to hear how you would customize it. Let me know what you think of my Risotto ai Frutti di Mare!
Risotto Frutti di Mari
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 lb raw scallops
- 8 oz mussel meat, de-shelled, pre-cooked and frozen Equivalent to 2 lbs of uncooked mussels in shells
- 3/4 lb asparagus, cleaned/trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces about 10 stalks
- 3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- 5 cups seafood stock
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 7 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring broth and 1/4 cup white wine to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low to keep hot but avoid boiling any liquid away. Keep aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, crushed red pepper, shrimp and scallops to skillet. Be sure not to overcrowd seafood. Saute 2 minutes until seafood starts to cook through, then flip. Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer additional 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and scallops and set aside.
- Add cooked/frozen mussels and asparagus to skillet. Cook about 5 minutes until mussels are heated through and asparagus begins to soften. Remove mussels and asparagus and set aside. Reserve remaining liquid in skillet for later step.
- In a large saucepan or pot, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onion and 1 clove minced garlic. Saute until onion is pale golden, about 5 minutes (be sure not to burn the butter).
- Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups heated broth mixture. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. Continue adding broth mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more. After stirring in all broth, stir in reserved seafood liquid. Cook until rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Mix in seafood (in whole pieces or halves, depending on preference) and asparagus. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
