Seafood Risotto - In memory of Nonna (Fish)

Member Name: sweetpea01

Product:	Fish
Date:	14/01/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Its full of flavour

Disadvantages: None

Now I didn't know where to write this whether in the Fish section or Rice & Pasta section but as it's a fish dish I decided to put it here!!

Coming from an Italian family means for women cooking is an essential way of life, recipes are passed down to generation and are all fully enjoyed by the whole family. Traditionally its the women in the kitchen and men sat outside! However italian men can cook!

My family originates from the wonderful Naples, the south west of Italy, it is the capital of the Campania region and is reknown for its art, culture and gastronomy. As Naples is right on the coast the amount of fresh fish markets are immense and the variety is so wide its amazing!!

The dish that I will be reviewing is quite simply a seafood risotto! Simple yet filling and full of flavour. The first time this was cooked for me was when I was about 10 and my nonna (grandmother) made this dish for all the family. It was fantastic, we had visited the fresh fish market and bought all the ingredients, fresh that day!

Ingredients required:-

65 ml virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
200 grams white fish (red snapper or monkfish)
45 mg flour
200 grams calamari rings
200 grams peeled and veined prawns
5 cups fish stock
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups risotto (Arborio) rice
125 ml dry white wine
3 medium red tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons chives
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:-

1. Place a large sauce pan under medium heat. Pour in half of the olive oil and sauté garlic until crisp and brown. Do not burn the garlic as it will add a bitter taste.
2. Coat the white fish in flour and toss in the saucepan along with the shrimps and the calamari. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to your desired taste.
3. Cook mixture until hake flakes turn opaque. Then remove from pan and set aside. Pour the remaining half of the olive oil into the pan and sauté leeks until soft, not browned.
4. Gradually add the rice, stirring constantly. As much as possible use Arborio rice. It is now already sold in almost all supermarkets. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour in the white wine to the rice mixture and stir constantly until all liquid has been absorbed.
6. In a small saucepan, gently simmer fish stock. Take note that cold stock lowers the temperature of the rice as it cooks which results to a gluey texture. Add one ladleful of the stock at a time to the rice, stirring until it is absorbed. This process is the secret to a creamy risotto because it allows starch to be released from the rice.
7. Repeat procedure until all stock has been added and rice is firm but tender. Note that the time it takes to cook the risotto depends largely whether the rice is freshly harvested or if it's old.
8. The temperature of the broth is also one big factor to cooking. A gradually simmering broth is ideal. There is no standard time to cook the dish. The procedure can be done in less than 30 minutes all it could take up to an hour. Always remember that the secret to perfect stickiness and creaminess that is characteristics of an authentic Italian risotto is adding the broth gradually. The creamy texture should come from the starch in the rice and not from the sauce.
9. When rice is al dente and all liquid is absorbed, gradually add the cooked seafood and tomatoes. Mix thoroughly. Then take sauce pan off the stove and stir in butter and sprinkle the herbs. The remaining heat will make the sauce blend gracefully with the rice mixture.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Risotto should be served steaming hot.

Sorry I have rambled on but this dish gives me such wonderful memories of spending time with my nonna and nonno which I probably won't get again! So I'd love to share this dish with as many people as possible!!

Summary: A perfect hearty family dish