Citrus Risotto with Garlic-Chile Prawns
May 7, 2005 posted by Linda Avery
by Bill Granger
from Bills Open Kitchen
(William Morrow, 2005)
Serves 4
As a general rule, the smaller the chile, the hotter it is, but I always taste a seed just to double-check. Have a glass of water ready!—Bill Granger
convert Ingredients
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 ounces butter
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 lemon, finely grated zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 small red chiles
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil, extra
20 green prawns (shrimp), shelled with tails intact, and deveined
Garnish
4 cups roughly chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Lemon wedges
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Method
1. Place the stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and keep at simmering point. Place a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, salt, and half the butter. Stir until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the rice is well coated.
2. Gradually add all the simmering stock, a cupful at a time, stirring constantly and making sure the stock is absorbed before you add more. This should take 20 minutes and the rice should be al dente and creamy. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and then stir in the remaining butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Cover the saucepan and let sit for 3 minutes for the flavours to develop.
3. Meanwhile, pound the chile and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Place the extra olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and heat until hot. Season the prawns with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan, until the prawns are just opaque then add the chile and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Stir the risotto and divide between four bowls. Toss the prawns with the parsley then place on top of the risotto. Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe © 2003 Bill Granger. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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This recipe was surprisingly yummy. I am not a risotto person, but I really enjoyed this dish a lot! I boiled the prawn shells with the chicken stock, so the stock had a sweeter, more fragrant taste. The dish had a very interesting flavor. The light citrus taste combined with the spiciness of the prawns made it very appetitizing.
Jessica, I hope this recipe gives you the impetus to try more exotic risotti.
I just can’t see the relation between the shrimp and the rice: they seem to be something haphazardly thrown together on a dish.
At least the shrimp shells ought to be used to obtain a stock for the rice (instead of the chicken stock).
Livio, unlike David’s shrimp risotto, I don’t think that Granger meant for this to be a shrimp risotto but he’s tying together two complementary ingredients with citrus which compliments both.