Shrimp Risotto

Have you ever had a food epiphany?
Years ago I had a seafood risotto at a restaurant on the Grand Canal of Venice (back in the cushy days of business trips with expense accounts) that was so silky, so luscious, so creamy yet still light, I didn’t know what hit me. I ate every grain with a stunned and happy look on my face and still remember that risotto more than what was inside St. Mark’s.

Use the smallest shrimp you can find. Try to find tiny pink shrimp in the supermarket’s freezer section. These “boreal” shrimp or Maine shrimp are uncommonly sweet and come pre-shelled and pre-cooked. Any shrimp you find larger than the last digit on your little finger should be cut in half.
Risotto recipes require risotto rice, an Italian rice that has enough starch to help make the risotto's creamy sauce. Arborio rice works for this purpose, but if you can get it, use a Carnaroli rice or even better a rice called Vialone Nano, which is more delicate and creamy than the other risotto rices and is well suited for this seafood risotto.

Shrimp Risotto Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish or appetizer

Ingredients

• 1 cup risotto rice (Arborio or if you can get it, Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• 8 ounces clam juice or fresh seafood stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups of the smallest pink shrimp you can find
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• Salt

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