Lemon Shrimp Risotto
Risotto is great comfort food. An added plus is that because it’s naturally so creamy you don’t really need much oil or fat for cooking. You can make a risotto meal out of virtually any ingredients you have on hand. This recipe combines shrimp, lemon and spring onions but you can experiment with fish and mushrooms too. Add a handful of chopped chillies if you like it hot!
Ingredients:
½ onion, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 cup of risotto rice (known as Arborio rice)
½ cup white wine
5 cups of vegetable stock (homemade or powder form made into 5 cups of broth)
1 handful of spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup cooked, peeled shrimp
1 lemon, you’ll need a squeeze and a little bit of lemon zest
Salt and ground pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon olive oil
In a saucepan heat one tablespoon of olive oil and lightly fry the onion for approximately two minutes. Add the crush garlic and fry for another minute. Add the rice, turning frequently until coated on all sides. Now add the wine and continue to stir the rice until the wine is absorbed. Reduce the heat to very low and start adding the vegetable stock, one cupful at a time. Wait until each cupful is nearly absorbed before adding the next one. Gently stir continuously.
Continue cooking like this for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add more stock if necessary. Once the rice feels firm but cooked (al dente) stir in the shrimp, spring onions, yogurt and a squeeze of lemon (start with one squeeze and add more if you like it tangy!). Now cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a few spring onions and a little bit of lemon zest. and serve immediately.
** Risotto is what slow food is all about. The trick to cooking a good risotto is to take your time and gently stir the rice throughout the cooking process. Take your time and think of it like therapy, without the big bills!
