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Risotto with Creamy Scampi Sauce

17/11/2023

Risotto with Creamy Scampi Sauce is an elegant dish that blends the flavors of the sea with the creaminess of Italian risotto. Here is the recipe to prepare this delicious dish:

Ingredients

  • 320 g of Carnaroli or Arborio rice
  • 500 g of scampi
  • 1/2 glass of dry white wine
  • 1 liter of fish stock
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Some chives
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley (optional)
  • 30 g of butter
  • 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Lemon zest (optional)

Preparation

  1. Begin by cleaning the scampi: remove the head and shell but keep them aside as they will be used for the stock. Clean the bodies of the scampi by removing the intestine and cutting them into small pieces.
  2. Prepare a quick stock by sautéing the scampi heads and shells in a pot with a drizzle of oil. Crush them well to release all the flavor, then add about 1 liter of water and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain and set aside the liquid.
  3. In a wide pot, sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic with a bit of oil until they become translucent. Add the scampi pieces, let them sauté for a couple of minutes, then deglaze with the white wine.
  4. Once the alcohol has evaporated, add the rice and toast it in the seasoning until it becomes translucent as well.
  5. Start adding the hot fish stock, one ladle at a time, waiting for the previous amount to be absorbed by the rice before adding more, stirring continuously.
  6. After about 18 minutes, when the rice is al dente, cream it with butter, Parmesan, and, if you like, add some grated lemon zest for freshness.
  7. Let the risotto sit for a couple of minutes, then serve garnished with chopped chives and, if you desire, a bit of parsley.

Curiosity

Risotto with Creamy Scampi Sauce can be customized in many ways. Some chefs add a bit of tomato paste or fresh cherry tomatoes to the sauté for a note of color and acidity. Also, it is possible to blend some of the scampi with a bit of fish stock to obtain a cream to add to the risotto halfway through cooking, thus giving the dish a greater creaminess and intensity.

Enjoy your meal!

Risotto with Creamy Scampi Sauce