Impress your friends with a creamy, savory seafood risotto.
I have to admit I had never cooked with risotto before creating this dish. There is not an Italian bone in my body, but I love to try new recipes and I had the eager factor covered, so I went for it.
Frankly, I thought risotto was small pasta, but I learned that risotto is Italian rice slowly cooked in broth until it is creamy. I had always been intimidated with trying to make risotto because it is very easy to mess up. The main mistakes people make are adding too much liquid or not enough liquid, which results in either runny or dry risotto. Lots of times people do not stir it enough or they add the liquid too fast, causing it to be mushy or clumpy. Trust me here: Just follow the progression of adding the liquid, stirring and repeat.
My version of this classic Italian dish has some Southern flair, and it’s delicious nonetheless.
When I create these dishes for the publication, I usually have to attempt a few variations before I feel like I have the one. Once I decide the how and what, I try to devise the method for recreating it. I then ask my spouse to cook it as the final trial for accuracy in replicating the dish. My spouse is not very familiar with the kitchen or cooking, but I set out all the ingredients, hand over the recipe and watch as it is prepared. This helps me stop and ask why something was or was not done to ensure precision and user friendliness.
Shortly after I felt that I had perfected this Creamy Shrimp Risotto, we had friends come into town to stay with us. I provided this very infant recipe to my spouse to make as the final version. When it was all over and the few edits to the method were made, our guests and I were very impressed with the preparation and presentation my spouse offered. So even if you are not an expert in the kitchen, this one will surly impress. Buon appetito!
Photography by James Stefiuk