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By Manos Angelakis based on a recipe by Master Chef Ken Arnone
Risotto al Pesce
Risotto is a dish that can be wonderful if you have the right rice and understanding of the process or it can taste like library paste. I have had excellent risottos in some of the second and third tier New York City restaurants, and awful risottos in top tier New York, Torino and Milanese restaurants.
For a successful risotto, the rice has to be short grained, either Vialone Nano, Carnaroli, or Arborio (superfine Arborio is preferred); the trinity (onion, celery, carrots) and garlic have to be sweated, i.e. gently sautéed in olive oil until tender and very aromatic without any caramelization (no color); and warm stock has to be slowly and gently added while stirring the rice with a wooden paddle.
Following is a recipe by Master Chef Ken Arnone for “Risotto al Pesce”, i.e. seafood risotto. This recipe was demonstrated during the “Taste of Tuscany Weekend” at the Mohonk Mountain House.
Ingredients:
1 Cup Italian Rice.
½ Red onion, small dice.
1 Carrot, small dice.
1 Rib Celery, small dice.
2 Cloves Garlic, smashed.
12 oz. Canned Tomatoes, chopped.
2 oz. Extra Virgin Olive oil.
3 - 4 cups Hot Chicken Stock.
½ lb. Shrimp, cleaned and medium diced.
½ lb. Calamari rings.
8 Basil leaves sliced thin.
1 tbsp. Parsley (Italian, flat leaf) chopped.
Salt & Pepper to taste.
Method:
In a heavy pan, sweat the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, until the onion starts turning transparent.
Add the tomatoes and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
Add the rice and cook gently while occasionally stirring, 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup of stock and simmer until all the stock has been absorbed, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking. Repeat adding stock and continue stirring, until rice is al dente. The approximate ratio of rice to stock is 1 to 3.
Add shrimp and calamari rings and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from fire.
The rice should be a bit wetter than desired, as it will absorb the extra stock while the dish is being finished.
Sprinkle on top the basil and parsley. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve.
In Italy, there is always a debate whether seafood risotto should be made with Parmesan cheese or not. The Venetians cook their seafood risotto without cheese, the Piemontese won’t think of making seafood risotto without the Parmesan. I have been in situations, where home-cooks have almost come to blows over one way or the other. In the end, it depends on you and your likes and dislikes.
© April 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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