Shrimp is featured in this recipe, but any kind of seafood will work. The saffron adds a very classic and tantalizing element to the dish. The parsley at the end is optional, but it adds freshness and a burst of color. You can let your diners sprinkle some on their own portions, along with extra Parm, as they see fit. Purists may scoff at the notion of including cheese in any dish with seafood; in Italy this has been traditionally frowned upon. You may decide for yourself; I think a little adds a lot of flavor, and most everyone who has inhaled risotto in my house agrees.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Generous pinch of saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio, carnaroli, or vialone nano rice or other short-grain starchy rice
- Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
- 1 pound uncooked extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving, optional
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 604 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 204 mg |
| Sodium | 1454 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 604 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 67 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 204 mg |
| Sodium | 1454 mg |
Reviews
I’ve made this recipe several times and really enjoy it every time. I make it exactly as directed. Occasionally I make a shrimp broth using the shells.
This was good and I’d make again. I made some of the stock by boiling the shrimp shells. I reduced the amount of onion quite a bit. And added asparagus the last 4 min. of cooking (when the rice was almost done). IMO, it needs the juice of 1/2 a lemon squeezed on it right after cooking. I think it would really benefit from some brightness.
Doubled it (feeding 8 people every night) and had some left for lunch. Chose not to spend $24 for saffron, so just tossed the shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning before adding it to the risotto. Had amazing flavor and the dish was a hit!
Great!!
This was sooo good!! I cut down the rice to a cup, seafood stock to 4 cups and the shrimp to 1/2 pound for a smaller batch. It did take about 30 minutes but I have made risotto before and knew what I was getting into. Need lots of patience. Just leisurely sip on a glass of wine while you wait for this yummy dish to be ready. It’s worth it.
Tasted great even though mine was very yellow. I can’t figure out why because I used the exact list of ingredients but oh well. Yummy dish
Made this tonite. Added some peas to it and salted it with Himalayan pink salt. Was absolutely amazing. 5 stars all day long.
I have made risotto many many times, and shrimp risotto at least a dozen. Looked to vary it a bit tonight and this recipe looked very close to what I was looking for. It rocked, a subtle blend of flavors between a traditional cheese risotto and a shrimp risotto. Only made two small changes, used half seafood stock and half chicken stock, and added a tablespoon of cream with the butter at the end. The vote was this was the best risotto I ever made!! Way to go Katie!!!!
This was delicious! Would make again for sure!
Excellent! Easy but time consuming. If you like your rice a little more cooked then al dente closer to 5-5.25 cups of broth.