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Creamy Seafood Risotto
Rich, creamy, and packed with oceanic flavor, this impressive risotto transforms your dining room into a high-end Italian restaurant. Arborio rice slowly absorbs warm seafood stock and white wine to build a deeply comforting base. You'll crown the finished dish with a luxurious mix of shrimp, sea scallops, clams, crabmeat, and lobster. It's highly adaptable, so you can easily swap the toppings based on what looks freshest at your local market. A final stir of Parmesan and a splash of heavy cream give the rice a beautifully decadent texture.
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 to 5 cups warm seafood stock
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
- 8 ounces shrimp, cooked using the Pan-Cooked Shrimp recipe ( here )
- 8 ounces sea scallops, cooked using the Basic Pan-Cooked Sea Scallops recipe ( here )
- 8 ounces clams, cooked using the Classic White Wine–Steamed Clams with Garlic and Herbs recipe ( here )
- 6 to 8 ounces cooked lump crabmeat or crab claws
- 8 ounces cooked lobster tail or cooked claws
Instructions
- 1Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Arborio rice and toast it for 2 to 3 minutes. Toasting the grains creates a protective shell that prevents them from turning mushy.
- 2Pour in the dry white wine and stir constantly until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Ladle in 1 cup of the warm seafood stock and stir until that liquid is also absorbed.
- 3Keep adding the remaining stock in small batches of 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. Stir frequently and wait for each addition to be absorbed before pouring in the next. This gradual process releases the starches and takes roughly 25 minutes, cooking until the rice reaches an al dente texture.
- 4Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan and the optional heavy cream. Taste the rice and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- 5Divide the creamy rice into individual bowls or a large serving dish. Arrange the cooked shrimp, scallops, clams, crabmeat, and lobster over the top. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Notes
- Prep: Keep your seafood stock warm in a separate saucepan on a low simmer. Adding cold stock to the hot rice drops the temperature and ruins the creamy texture.
- Swap: Customize the seafood topping based on what looks freshest at the market. A simple mix of shrimp and crab works just as well as the full assortment.
- Serving: Offer lemon wedges on the side to cut through the richness of the creamy rice.
- Pairing: Serve alongside roasted asparagus, broccolini, braised greens, or a crisp side salad.