Rice Pie with Shrimp and Asparagus
When I need a special dish, I always find inspiration by searching through the recipes of my old, but beloved, cooking magazines, and I am never disappointed. This time my choice falls on a rice pie with shrimp and asparagus, an excellent saffron risotto that accompanies a delicate sauce, a beauty, but above all a great delight. A dish that can also be presented on grand occasions, convenient to prepare because the risotto can be cooked beforehand, placed in a mold, and then, later, given a final bake in the oven, even the next day.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Moderate
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: People 8/10
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Carnaroli Rice
- Onion
- glasses Dry White Wine
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan (Grated)
- 4 1/4 cups Broth (About)
- 1 packet Saffron
- Butter
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 1/4 cups Fresh Cream
- 3 Spring Onions
- 1 bunch Asparagus
- 9 oz Shrimp Tails (Already cleaned)
- Marjoram
- Parsley
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Butter
- Chives
Preparation
Prepare the rice as a regular risotto, sauté the onion in oil finely chopped, without burning it, then toast the rice. Deglaze with white wine and continue cooking with boiling broth, adding it gradually as it dries. About halfway through cooking, add the packet of saffron dissolved in a little hot broth.
Keep the rice very al dente, turn off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and adjust the salt.
Generously butter a ring mold and pour in the risotto. Level it and cover it with wax paper or parchment paper.
At this point, you can let it cool and store it in the fridge until needed or bake it. To bake, place the mold in a boiling water bath and bake in a preheated oven at 392 Fahrenheit (200 Celsius) for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce that will serve as a condiment. Clean and wash the spring onions and asparagus. Prepare a mix with some leaves of marjoram, parsley, and chives.
Blanch the asparagus stalks for 5 minutes in salted boiling water, setting aside the tips. Drain them and cut them into rings.
Cut the spring onions into rather large rings and let them soften in three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the asparagus, even the tips cut in half, and let it all flavor together.
Add the cream and let it thicken for a few minutes. Check that the asparagus is cooked.
In a separate pan briefly sauté the shrimp, cut into two or three parts over high heat with a knob of butter. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Combine the shrimp with the cream and asparagus sauce, cook for a couple of minutes, adjust the salt, and turn off the heat. Add the herb mix to the sauce.
Unmold the rice onto a serving dish and serve with the shrimp and asparagus sauce.
