SEAFOOD SAFFRON RISOTTO Recipe

  Italian Seafood

Ingredients:
Good Pinch of saffron strands
150ml (1/4 pint) boiling water
45ml (3 tbs) olive oil
30 ml (2 tbs) butter or margarine
1 onion skinned and chopped
2 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed
1/2 each green and red pepper, finely chopped
400g (14oz) Italian risotto rice
about 600 ml (1 pint) hot fish or chicken stock
120 ml (8 tbs) dry white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and freshlyground pepper
350 -450 (3/4 - 1 ln) frozen shelled scampi or jumbo prawns, thawed and thoroughly drained and dried
24 cooked mussels, shelled
a few mussels in shells, to garnish
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions:
1. Prepare the saffron water. Soak the waffron strands in the boiling water for at least 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy-based pan, add the onion, garlic and peppers and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft.

3. Add the rice and stir until coated in the oil and butter. Pour in a few spoonfuls of the stock and the wine, then add the saffron liquid.

4. Add the bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste and summer gently, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice.

5. Add a few more spoonfuls of stock and simmer again until it is absorbed. Continue adding stock in this way for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the rice is al dente (tender but firm to the bite).

6. Melt the remaining butter in a separate pan, add the scampi and toss gently for about 5 minutes until they change colour.

7. Remove the bay leaf from the risotto, then stir inthe scampi and joicues and the mussels. Warm through, taste and adjust seasoning. Turn into a warmed serving dish. Top with whole mussels and serve at once wiht grated Parmesan cheese handed separately.

SEAFOOD SAFFRON RISOTTO
 

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