Con's seafood risotto
INGREDIENTS
500g medium green prawns, left whole
200g white fish fillet
150g clams, purged
100g picked fresh crab meat
Stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 celery stick, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tablespoon tomato passata
pinch saffron
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g butter
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups risotto rice (canaroli, aborio or vialone)
1 cup (250ml) white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
extra virgin olive oil
METHOD
Peel and devein prawns and leave the tails on. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and add prawn shells and heads. Cook 2-3 minutes, crushing the shells with the wooden spoon.
Add leek, celery and carrot and cook a further 2 minutes without colouring the vegetables. Stir in the passata, saffron and water and increase the heat to high. Bring to the boil quickly; reduce heat to medium and simmer stock for 20 minutes.
Drain hot stock through a strainer, pushing down on the shells to extract as much flavour as possible; discard shells and vegetables and place fresh stock into a clean saucepan and heat over low heat to keep hot.
To make risotto; heat oil and butter together over medium high heat in a large heavy based pan. Add prawns and sear each side; remove and set aside. Now add fish fillet and sear 30 seconds each side until just golden, but not cooked through. Remove and keep warm with prawns.
Bring pan back up to temperature and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring for a few minutes or just until onion has softened. Add rice and stir to coat in the buttery juices. Add wine and bring to a boil; simmer to reduce the wine by ¾.
Stirring constantly, add hot stock one ladleful at a time, waiting for each measure to be absorbed before adding the next.
Once nearly all the stock, bar 1 ladle has been added and the rice is al dente, stir in clams, crab meat and prawns. Flake fish coarsely and cook a further 5 minutes or until clams are open and the seafood has heated through.
If desired, the last cup of stock can be stirred through at the last minute, to loosen the risotto a little more; Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, divide risotto amongst serving bowls and top with shredded basil, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.
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