If you like seafood dishes, also see: Complete Seafood Menu Easy and Quick Recipes
If you love the flavors of the sea, this creamy shrimp and clam risotto is one of those recipes you absolutely must try. An elegant yet simple first course, perfect to include in a complete seafood menu, from starters to main courses.
The secret of this shrimp and clam risotto is all in the final creaming (mantecatura), which makes it irresistibly creamy and enveloping. With a few fresh ingredients and a couple of tricks, you can bring to the table an authentic seafood risotto, ideal both for a special dinner and to surprise guests without complicating your life.
In this recipe I show you step by step how to prepare a creamy risotto with shrimp and clams, fragrant and full of flavor, just like at the restaurant… but homemade 😉
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups Carnaroli rice (or arborio)
- 11 oz shrimp (fresh)
- 1.1 lb clams (fresh)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter (for creaming (mantecatura))
- to taste salt and pepper
- 3 1/3 cups vegetable broth
- to taste parsley (chopped)
Tools
- 1 Ladle dp
Preparation
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil and one clove of garlic. Add the clams and cover with a lid until they open;
Deglaze with half a glass of white wine and strain the liquid to save it;
Shell the shrimp and remove the intestinal vein. Leave a few whole with the shell to decorate the plate;
In a saucepan, sauté a tablespoon of oil with the garlic, then add the rice. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly;
Deglaze the rice with a little white wine and let it evaporate. Add hot fish broth little by little, stirring often, until almost cooked (about 15-16 minutes);
Halfway through cooking, incorporate the shrimp and the strained clam liquid. Continue cooking until the risotto is al dente and creamy;
Turn off the heat and add the butter and a handful of chopped parsley. Stir vigorously to obtain a creamy, well-emulsified risotto;
Plate the risotto, adding a few clams in the shell and shrimp. Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
