Risotto is one of those things that I could eat every day and never get bored of. It can be vegetarian or meaty and its gluten free. This means it's always an option when I'm cooking dinner for friends. It's definitely a crowd pleaser. Unfortunately I've had a few over cooked mushy risottos which risked putting me off for life, but the memory of a good home cooked risotto has always rescued me.
This is a pretty simple risotto to make. I tend to make it when I'm missing home. I come from by the seaside where we can get big crabs pretty cheaply. My cupboard version with a tinned crab is perhaps not quite as amazing as using fresh crab, but I still adore it.
Ingredients (for 4)
400g risotto rice
1 x good quality tinned crab (or if you're lucky enough about 300g fresh white crabmeat)
1 leek
1 lemon
1.5l of fish stock
Glass of white wine
Pepper
Knob of butter
Fresh parsley
How to...
1. Finely slice the leek, having washed all the mud off beforehand.
2. Soften the leek over a medium heat with a knob of butter.
3. Zest the lemon.
4. Add risotto rice, half the lemon zest, a generous grinding of fresh black pepper and a slosh of fish stock to pan.
5. Stir the risotto adding stock and wine as it is absorbed. Keep cooking for around 15-20 minutes over a medium heat. The rice should still have some bite to it.
6. Add in 3/4 of the crab and stir.
7. Dish up the risotto topping each dish with a spoon of leftover crabmeat, some lemon zest and a big pinch of fresh roughly chopped parsley.
Today whilst cooking I was listening to... Everything by Micheal Buble.
