Fish and Prawn Risotto
A summer favourite, this prawn risotto with lemon and seafood is the perfect way to enjoy a hearty meal without being full! Light and fresh, this is a gorgeous dish for summer entertaining.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots finely sliced
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 20 prawns/shrimp
- ½ lbs tilapia or other firm, white fish
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese finely grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a large fry pan or Dutch oven over low heat until butter is melted.
- Add shallots and bacon, and saute for about 10 minutes or until shallots go opaque.
- Meanwhile, add vegetable stock to a separate saucepan, and heat over low to medium heat until warm (not boiling).
- Once shallots have gone opaque, sprinkle arborio rice over bacon and shallot mixture. Stir and continue to saute. The secret here is that every single grain of rice MUST be covered with butter/olive oil. Keep stirring, and up the heat a little bit so that each grain toasts a little and begins to absorb the butter and oil.
- Add the wine. Pour over rice and stir once or twice.
- Lower heat, and leave the wine to soak in.
- Once the wine is starting to soak in, ladle spoons of vegetable stock into the frying pan. The key here is to add stock about half a cup at a time and top up every time the stock is absorbed. At this stage, leave the lid on and simmer away, checking it every few minutes to add the stock. Again, don't stir! If you feel the need prod to see whats going on at the pan surface. If you find it starting to dry up, keep adding the stock.
- Once the stock is all gone and the rice is starting to soften (taste test to see), add the fish and prawns and gently stir.
- Add salt and pepper to start to build flavour.
- Add lemon rind, and leave to simmer for about 10 minutes, but make sure you check the rice and add stock if it is starting to dry up. The dutch oven should still be on low temperature.
- The fish and prawns will cook quickly, so just before serving, taste to see if they are cooked. The prawns should be orange in colour, and the fish should be white the whole way through.
- Serve and top with chopped parsley, and more lemon rind.
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top to serve with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
Keep tasting your risotto and add salt and pepper or lemon rind when needed. You want to keep the risotto moist, so careful observation is required at all times.