Saffron Risotto

Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make and to eat. Made with short grain or Arborio rice, the butter and stock thicken together to make this recipe wonderfully decadent. If I am not making a shellfish dish to accompany the risotto, any time I boil lobster, shrimp or any shellfish, I keep + freeze the shells to make the stock at a later time.

This is not a quick dish to make, but I find it very relaxing to stir and meditate. It may take at least 20-30 minutes for the rice to cook and absorb the liquid. Be patient-the finished product should be tender yet al dente (I usually test this several times during the process.) Risotto should have a creamy consistency.

This particular recipe uses Saffron, which is quite pricey but worth the expense for a special dinner, such as Valentine’s Day.

Risotto:
5 cups lobster or shrimp stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cup white wine
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon saffron threads
Parmesan Cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the shallot until softened but not colored. Raise the heat to high add the wine, and reduce until dry. Reduce the heat, add the rice and saffron and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Cook 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with a second cup. As the rice becomes dry, add stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan cheese.