Seafood Risotto Recipe

Creamy Seafood Risotto

5.0

(2,168)

8 Reviews

Arborio rice cooked with onion, saffron, wine, and clam juice is dressed up with buttery shrimp and crab. Mascarpone cheese elevates the dish's creaminess factor.

Grace Parisi

Updated on April 9, 2024

Creamy Seafood Risotto — Photo:
Food & Wine

Total Time:

30 mins

Yield:

6 servings

There are few dishes that cook up quickly yet are as elegant as risotto. This recipe takes that special dish factor up another notch with the addition of crab, shrimp, and saffron, then stirs in mascarpone for an extra creamy finish. Feeling like an even bigger splurge? Add lobster or scallops, or the freshest fish recommended by your fishmonger.

Frequently asked questions

What is the secret to a good risotto?

Risotto is not difficult to make, but technique is definitely important. First, make sure you're beginning with the correct rice. Long-grain rice won't work here, so stick with arborio as the recipe indicates. Next, never rinse the rice. You may be accustomed to rinsing rice for other applications, but here, we want all those starches to stay intact, imparting creaminess to the dish.

What is seafood risotto made of?

From lobster to squid and clams to cod, risotto is a wonderful vehicle for serving all kinds of seafood. To intensify the oceanic flavor in this crab and shrimp risotto, we spike our rice cooking liquid with briny clam juice. Once the rice is finished, the lump crabmeat and chopped shrimp are sautéed in butter with minced shallot, then stirred into the risotto with mascarpone cheese and parsley.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Don't be tempted to start sautéing the shallot and seafood before the rice has been taken off the heat. Cooking the rice and seafood successively allows for the risotto to have a brief rest period, which is key to creaminess. It should only take a few minutes to cook the crab and shrimp, just the right amount of time for the rice to drop sufficiently in temperature to stir in the remaining ingredients without too much evaporation taking place.

Suggested pairing

Fragrant, substantial Soave is a great complement here.

Ingredients

3 cups bottled clam juice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups (10 ounces) arborio rice
Pinch of saffron threads
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, cut into thirds
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the clam broth and water and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to thoroughly coat. Crumble the saffron into the wine and add it to the rice. Cook, stirring until the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm clam juice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the juice 1/2 cup at a time and stirring constantly until it is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when the rice is al dente and suspended in a thick, creamy sauce, about 20 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and crab and cook until just heated through. Scrape the seafood into the risotto and stir in the mascarpone. Serve immediately topped with parsley.

Originally appeared: February 2009