Crab Risotto, With Saffron, Clams and Mussels

Awesome dish!

The trick to making risotto is simple.  Good fresh ingredients and hot stock!

Most risotto's are made using loads of parmesan cheese, but because we are making a seafood risotto we don't use cheese.  Seafood and cheese are a bad idea!

Recipe for two:

1 dungeness crab, cooked and meat picked
6 clams
6 mussels, scrubbed and hair removed
6 wild shrimp, shells removed
1 c arborio rice
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 small leek, finely sliced, pale green and white parts only
1 tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T tomato paste
1 tiny pinch of saffron
1 c dry white vermouth or white wine
6 c vegetable stock, warmed in a pan
2 T butter, divided
olive oil
salt and pepper
parsley for garnish

Risotto is all about having hot stock and stirring, so get ready!

First, heat up the stock on the back burner, and get a ladle ready.  The next step I use two pans, but you can do it in one if you like.  In a saute pan, add a little olive oil and butter, and place medium heat.  When the butter has melted and is foaming add the onion, celery, carrot, leek and garlic.  This is called soffrito.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until soft, not browned.

Using a saucepan add a little olive oil and butter, and place over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, add the rice.  Stir it to toast the rice a little, not to brown it, but just until it's coated with the oil and starts to change color, to look translucent.

Now add the wine and stir.  Reduce the wine until it's almost completely gone.  Then add the cooked veggies and a ladle of stock, and stir until the stock has been absorbed by the rice.  Add another ladle of stock and stir until the stock has been absorbed, keep doing this until the rice is tender.  What you're doing by stirring is massaging the starch out of the rice, so it becomes creamy.  If you run out of stock, you can use hot water, but stock is better.

When the rice is about halfway from being done, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and saffron.  When the risotto is almost done, add the shrimp.  When the shrimp appears cooked add the crab.  Cook about 2 minutes, then add the clams and mussels.  Put a lid on the pan and cook for about 1 minute or until the shells just open.  Don't over cook shellfish.

Plate onto warm plates, and garnish with parsley.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes