Preparation

• Whole Grain Rice
  Rinse the rice to partially remove the starch, then:
  • soak the rice in a bowl, in cold water, for 2 hours;
  • stir occasionally;
  • change the water a couple of times;
  • rinse it thoroughly under running water before use.
  Once the deamination process is complete, drain the rice thoroughly by pouring it into a strainer.

  If you taste a grain, you will have the sensation of eating rice that has undergone a preliminary cooking.

  

• Wash a zucchini thoroughly without removing the skin.

  Grate it coarsely or cut it into julienne strips and place it in a bowl.
  Season with a pinch of salt and grind the pepper.
  Drizzle with lemon juice [or orange juice], seal the bowl with cling film, and refrigerate for 2 hours [the time needed to deaminate the rice].

  After 2 hours, pour the zucchini into a colander, squeeze it, and let it drain.

  

• I chose large shrimp over small shrimp, simply for convenience: shelling and cleaning 8 large shrimp is undoubtedly easier than shelling and cleaning 2 servings of small shrimp.

  Clean the large shrimp following the procedure described in how to clean large shrimp:

  Gently separate the heads from the bodies.
  Optionally, you can use them to prepare a broth with shrimp heads to further flavor the risotto [instead of just plain boiling water].

• CLEAN LARGE SHRIMP
  Shell the large shrimp.

  Then remove the black thread, that is, the intestine, which is not toxic but can spoil our dish:
  • make an incision on the back of the bodies with a sharp knife;
  • extract the black thread, that is, the intestine, using a toothpick.

  

• Wash the large shrimp thoroughly under running water and let them drain in a colander.
  Pat the residual water with kitchen paper towels.

  

• I grilled the large shrimp and added them in chunks at the end of the preparation.
  If you prefer, you can add them raw shortly before completing the rice cooking.

  GRILL LARGE SHRIMP
  Heat the grill or induction griddle or a pan.
  Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the grill or induction griddle or the pan [watch out not to let it protrude because it could burn].
  Place the parchment paper on the hot grill or induction griddle or pan.
  Place the shelled large shrimp on the parchment paper.
  Let them cook for a few minutes.
  Turn them with kitchen tongs and wait until fully cooked.
  For even cooking, balance them on their backs and let them cook a little longer.

  Move the grilled large shrimp to a plate, wait until they are warm, and cut them into chunks.

  Place them in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt and grind the pepper, drizzle with a little oil, and refrigerate.

  

• If you prefer to use small shrimp, after shelling and cleaning them, you can boil them or sauté them in a pan, season them, and refrigerate.

• In a small pot, pour:
  • 3.4 oz of water;
  • a pinch of salt;
  • a pinch of turmeric or a sachet of saffron [optional];
  and bring to a boil.

  In a hot pan, pour the deaminated rice and toast it or more like heat it [it’s a semi-cooked rice, so the grains will never become as hot as if they were raw].
  Deglaze with white wine and continue stirring until fully evaporated.
  Lower the heat, pour the boiling water into the pan, and mix.
  Add the zucchini.
  Continue stirring with a silicone spatula.
  Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes, instead of 10, until the rice has absorbed almost all the broth [I stopped at 3].
  With the heat off:
  • add the shrimp chunks;
  • add the parsley;
  • add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and stir to blend.
  If necessary, adjust the salt and grind the pepper.
  Cover with a lid and let rest for 2-3 minutes.

  Plate the dish.

  Your whole grain zucchini and shrimp risotto is ready.

  Enjoy your meal!

  

• You can also enjoy it as rice salad or cold rice.

  You can store it in the fridge, making sure to take it out an hour before eating so it becomes soft and light again.