Seafood Risotto

I found this recipe to be the perfect comfort meal on a cold, snowy, rainy, and windy evening.  Even better is that it is a Friday during lent.  The recipe for risotto is definitely easy but yes it can be a little time consuming, to get the nice creamy texture you want from a risotto. I think any combination of fish you have on hand will work well with this.  I wish I would have had some clams to throw in also.

Recipe:

1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)

1 tsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 cups fish or seafood stock

1/4 cup lump crab meat

1/2 lb bay scallops

1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute for about three minutes, until soft. Add the rice and toss to coat each kernel with oil.

Add the white wine to the pot and stir. Cook until all the wine has been absorbed—about three minutes.

Now, add the stock—a quarter cup at a time—stirring after each addition and not adding any more until the previous addition has been completely absorbed.   This will take some time but it is worth every minute to get creamy risotto.

After all the stock has been absorbed into the risotto, turn off the heat. Heat a teaspoon more oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add the scallops and shrimp. Quickly cook until the shrimp are pink and curled and the scallops are opaque in the center.

Add the shrimp, scallops and half a can of lump crab meat to the risotto, along with minced parsley, and grated cheese. Season with salt to taste. Serve each bowl of risotto with a big squeeze of lemon over top.