Shrimp Risotto

This shrimp risotto is creamy, cheesy, and pretty easy to make too! 

Your guests will feel like you are serving them a "gourmet" dish that took lots of time and labor spent constantly stirring a pot by the stove, when, in reality, this risotto is pretty hands off. 

Rather than adding the liquid to the rice by the cupful and stirring until each is absorbed, this recipe calls for adding the stock in just two additions, and very little stirring. You still get the creamy sauce that you are looking for with so much less effort. 

There's no need to be intimidated by making risotto. You can even make it in the Instant Pot. Even the recipes that requiring adding the stock in more stages, such as saffron risotto with sausage, don't necessarily require constant stirring. 

As long as you stir for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time, you should easily achieve the creamy texture you are looking for. 

Ingredients:

Estra Large Shrimp: Buy shrimp with the shell on so you can use the shells to make the stock. I actually used frozen raw easy peel wild caught shrimp from Argentina that you can find at any Ralph's Kroger store (not sponsored) under the brand Private Selection. They have already been split and deveined, so all you need to do is rinse the shrimp under cold water and peel off the shells. 

Note: If you ever are peeling shrimp and are not using the shells, place them in a plastic bag and freeze them for later. They will come in handy for making an amazing shrimp stock. 

Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is an Italian short grain rice that is pretty plump, and very starchy. It's actually related to sushi rise. If you are planning on making risotto, it's really the only rice that will work. Fortunately, it's also grown in the U.S. and readily available. Unlike with most rice dishes, do not rinse the rice before cooking. You need that starch for creating the creaminess of the risotto. 

Vegetables: You will need an onion and a fennel bulb. 

Cheese: Preferably freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Dry White Wine: Use any dry white wine that you are willing to drink with dinner!

Additional Ingredients: Salt, vegetable oil, peppercorns, bay leaves, butter, baking soda, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chives. 

Process to Make this Risotto:

First, peel the shrimp and then cook the shrimp shells in oil to extract their flavor. I actually had more shrimp shells in my freezer and added them. 

Next, add water, pepper, and bay leaves, plus some salt, simmer for a few minutes, and strain.

After that, sauté the onions, fennel, and garlic and then add the rice and stir until the rice is transluscent. Then add the wine, cook for a bit, and then add most of the stock and simmer everything, covered, for about 18 minutes. You only need to stir twice during this time. 

Finally, add the final 3/4 cup of stock to the pan and cook, uncovered, stirring gently until everything becomes creamy, about three minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and the raw shrimp, and then cover the pan and let it sit, off heat, for about five minutes. The shrimp will naturally cook in the hot rice. 

Season the dish with lemon zest, lemon juice, more salt and pepper, and lots of chopped chives. 

Make-Ahead: 

This dish is best the day that it is make, but if you've cooked the rice to the "al dente" stage, you can make this dish in advance and reheat it. You will have a little extra stock on hand, so keep it in the refrigerator to re-moisten the risotto if necessary. 

Definitely freeze any leftover stock to use later. I usually boil it down a bit for freezing in ice trays. 

Of course, leftovers of this risotta are delicious! 

This week, the Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes for risotto. Our host is Stacy of Food Lust People Love! 

Risotto Recipes: 

• Creamy Shrimp Risotto - Instant Pot from Food Lust People Love
• Just in Time for Halloween: Spooky Risotto from Culinary Cam
• Risotto ai Funghi from Our Good Life
• Risotto with Chicken and Cranberries from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Shrimp Risotto from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Vegetarian Creamy Mushroom Risotto from Sneha's Recipe

 

Shrimp Risotto

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This shrimp risotto is creamy, cheesy, and pretty easy to make too!

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra large shrimp with shells on
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 7 cups water
• 15 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 brown or yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, stem and fronds removed, halved, cored, and chopped fine.
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked arborio rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 ounce, by weight, Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and lemon zest, plus wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Peel and devein the shrimp, setting the shells aside in a small bowl. Cut the shrimp into thirds and place them into another small bowl. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
2. In a six to eight quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shiny over high heat and add the shrimp shells. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the 7 cups of water, the peppercorns, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Strain out the solids and transfer the stock to a medium bowl.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same Dutch oven and add the onion, fennel, baking oda, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 to 10 minutes. Quickly stir in the garlic. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently for about 4 minutes.
4. Add the wine to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 to 3 minutes to absorb the wine. Add four cups of the reserved stock and reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 18 minutes, stirring twice at even intervals.
5. After the 18 minutes, add 3/4 cup more of the stock and stir smoothly and constantly until the mixture becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan and the the shrimp, cover the pan, and move it off heat. Let it sit for five minutes.
6. Stir in the chopped chives, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and 2 more tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with extra Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

612

Fat (grams)

13 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

6 g

Carbs (grams)

102 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

97 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

16 g

Cholesterol (grams)

23 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/10/shrimp-risotto.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

risotto, shrimp

Main Dish

Italian

Recipe adapted from the book, Foolproof Fish, by America's Test Kitchen. There are over 175 fish recipes in the book. 

You can also find the original in America's Test Kitchen TV Show, Season 22.