Risotto Frutti Di Mare Recipe

Purge and cook shellfish

Place clams and mussels in separate bowls of cold salted water for 20 minutes to purge sand. Meanwhile, in a large wide sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high. Add half the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add clams and mussels, pour 60 ml of the white wine, cover and steam 4–6 minutes until shells open. Remove shellfish as they open to a bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard any unopened shells. Strain the reserved liquid through a fine sieve into a measuring cup and set aside (you should have roughly 100–150 ml).

Prepare shelled seafood

Remove clams and mussels from shells, leaving a few in shells for garnish if desired. Put shelled clams and mussels into a bowl, toss with a pinch of salt and lemon juice, and refrigerate briefly while you cook the risotto. Keep steamer pan handy for later reheating and finishing.

Quick-cook calamari and prawns

Pat calamari and prawns dry and season lightly with salt. These will be added near the end to avoid overcooking; set aside.

Warm the stock

Keep the fish stock hot in a saucepan over low heat; it should never be cold when you add it to the rice.

Toast the rice

In a wide heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep sauté pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 20 g butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and the rice. Stir constantly for 2 minutes until grains become translucent at the edges and smell nutty — this toasts the rice and coats it in fat.

Deglaze with wine

Pour in the white wine and stir until mostly absorbed.

Cook risotto with stock

Add 1 ladle (about 120 ml) of hot fish stock to the rice and stir until nearly absorbed. Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring often and allowing the rice to absorb most of the liquid before adding more. This process takes about 16–18 minutes. About halfway through cooking (at ~8–9 minutes), add the strained shellfish cooking liquid you reserved to intensify flavor.

Make tomato base

While the rice cooks, in a medium skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil and remaining 20 g butter over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes (if using), remaining garlic (if any), salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly.

Finish tomato cream

Stir in the heavy cream and reduce heat to low; warm through but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in half the chopped parsley and lemon zest. Keep warm.

Incorporate tomato cream into risotto

When the rice is just shy of al dente (about 16–18 minutes total cooking time), spoon the warm tomato cream into the risotto — start with half, stir to combine, and add more until the risotto reaches a creamy consistency. Continue gentle cooking 1–2 minutes, adding a little more stock if needed to achieve a loose, but not soupy, texture.

Add seafood to risotto

When you have added the tomato cream and the rice is nearly done, fold in the calamari and prawns and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until prawns turn pink and calamari is just cooked through. Add the shelled clams and mussels, mix gently to warm them through (1–2 minutes). If the risotto looks too thick, add a splash of hot stock or reserved shellfish liquid to loosen.

Finish with butter and cheese

Remove pan from heat. Stir in the remaining 20 g butter (cut into pieces) and grated cheese, if using, to enrich the risotto and give a glossy finish. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten.

Plate and garnish

Serve the risotto immediately in warmed shallow bowls. Spoon a few whole clams/mussels in shell on top for presentation if reserved earlier. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a light dusting of black pepper. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.