Barefoot Contessa Shrimp Risotto Recipes

EASY PARMESAN "RISOTTO"

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the rice and 4 cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the oven, add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper, and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.

SPRING GREEN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and fennel and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter. Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring almost constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water. (If using fresh peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes until the starchiness is gone.)
• When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.
• Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

SHRIMP RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep at a gentle simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat a wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots, and garlic and cook until the shallots have softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the rice and cook, stirring pretty much constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, so the rice can drink up the oil. When it's ready for the next step, the rice will make a different sound as you stir it, almost as if you are stirring tiny pebbles.
• Pour in the wine and stir. Season with salt and white pepper and bring to a simmer. Now's the time to start monitoring the heat. You want the liquid at a steady simmer, moving but not bubbling away like a lunatic. Stir often, scraping the bottom of the pan. When most of the wine has been absorbed - when you scrape across the center of the pan, you'll leave a moat - ladle in 1 cup of the shrimp stock. Keep at a simmer, stirring away until the rice drinks up most of this liquid. Continue the process, adding stock by the cupful, until you've added 3 cups of stock.
• Add the shrimp and tomatoes with the last cup of stock and simmer until the rice is al dente and still saucy.
• Divide the risotto among four soup plates. Spoon a ribbon of basil oil around the risotto in each bowl. Serve immediately.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place the dried morels in a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Set aside for 30 minutes. Scoop the morels from the water with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. You should have 2 cups; if not, add water to make 2 cups. Drain the morels and rinse once more. If some of the mushrooms are large, cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Pour the mushroom liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel, discarding the gritty solids. Set the mushrooms and the liquid aside separately.
• Meanwhile, remove and discard the stems of the porcini and rub any dirt off the caps with a damp paper towel. Dont rinse them! Slice thickly and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock with the 2 cups of reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a simmer.
• In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the morels and porcini and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of the chicken stock mixture to the rice plus the saffron, salt, and pepper. Stir and simmer over low heat until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock mixture, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry before adding more of the stock mixture. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 25 to 30 minutes total. When done, the risotto should be thick and creamy and not at all dry. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot in bowls with extra cheese.

LEMONY SHRIMP AND RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the shrimp and juices to a bowl to cool.
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the fennel and onions. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, 30 seconds. Add the rice. Stir until well coated and translucent in spots, about 2 minutes. Add the wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice, zest, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the rice is just tender but still has some bite and the risotto is creamy, stirring often, 13 to 14 minutes.
• Mix in the arugula. Stir until the arugula wilts, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp. Mix in additional broth if needed, 1/4 cup at a time, until the risotto is creamy.
• Spoon the risotto into 4 shallow soup bowls.

5-INGREDIENT SHRIMP RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put the shrimp shells and tails, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan. Cover with 7 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Strain the shrimp broth into a large liquid measuring cup. Discard the shells and garlic. You should be left with 6 cups of broth. If the broth reduced more, just supplement with a little extra water to yield 6 cups. Add the broth back into the empty saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Heat a large straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add the chopped shrimp and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining 3 cloves of garlic and set aside. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and add 1 tablespoon of oil if the skillet is too dry, then add the sliced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just starting to soften, about 1 minute. Stir in the arborio rice until coated with the oil. Add the lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has been mostly absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Ladle 1 cup of the warm stock into the rice and cook, stirring gently without stopping, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes; you will know it's time to add more stock when you move the rice aside and no liquid pools in the center.
• Repeat this process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente and creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. If you run out of broth before the risotto is at its desired doneness, add some water.
• Stir in the arugula, shrimp and half of the lemon zest and cook until the arugula wilts slightly.
• Serve topped with the remaining lemon zest.

SHRIMP RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the saffron, and reduce the heat to medium low.
• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and stir until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir until all of the grains are well coated with the fat and onions, and the rice is turning slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Add the white wine, if using, and stir until it is almost completely absorbed into the rice, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the hot broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often and simmering until the liquid is almost absorbed before adding more (you can add some water to the pot of broth if it looks like you might run low). After about 16 to 18 minutes, when the rice is still quite al dente but the dish is starting to look creamy, stir in the shrimp and another 1/2 cup of the broth and stir frequently until the shrimp are almost cooked through and the rice is al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup of liquid if the mixture is too thick (you want it to be quite loose).
• Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the Parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and add a bit more broth if necessary to achieve the desired texture. Quickly ladle into a serving bowl, or individual bowls and serve immediately with the parsley and more Parmesan, if using.