Saffron, mixed seafood and fresh English peas come together to please your taste buds in this paella-inspired risotto.
Ingredients
4½ cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1½ cups arborio rice
⅔ cup white wine
½ cup peas (I used fresh English peas but frozen would be okay, too)
1-2 pinches saffron
½ pound seafood (I used combination shrimp, bay scallops and calamari)
½ cup grated Parmesan
Chopped scallions for garnish
Juice of approx ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-hight heat and add the saffron. Cover and keep warm.
To pre-cook the seafood: add to the simmering stock and cook for about 3 minutes or until the meat is just cooked-through. This may take less or longer than three minutes depending on the size of the seafood you use. You can add the seafood to the stock at any time as you prepare the risotto. Just don't forget to remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside so the meat doesn't get tough.
To prepare the risotto: Heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in large pan. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until they're no longer translucent. Add the rice and cook for another 3 minutes until they're toasted. Add the wine and cook for another 1-2 minutes until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and add ½ - ¾ cup stock to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. This will take 5-6 minutes. Repeat this process, adding ½ cup stock at a time until the rice is tender. Season the rice with salt and pepper as needed between additions of stock.
When you have about 1 cup of stock left, test the rice for doneness. It should be almost ready at this point. Add ½ - ¾ cup of the remaining stock along with the peas and cheese. You can also add the lemon juice at this point. Stir to combine, cover and reduce heat to low. After a couple of minutes, remove the cover and test the rice. Both the rice and peas should be tender by this time. If your risotto looks dry, add the remaining stock. Risotto has a tendency to dry out so you can save any unused stock to add to leftovers before reheating if you have any. Garnish with chopped scallions before serving.
Recipe by Lemons + Anchovies at https://lemonsandanchovies.com/2012/06/risotto-with-saffron-seafood-and-peas/