The seafood risotto is an easy and delicious fish main course. Rich in flavors and aromas, refined and simple, perfect for special occasions.
A winning tip for its success is undoubtedly choosing fresh, high-quality fish and success will be guaranteed!
This classic marinara risotto is one of those dishes that smell like summer, family lunches, carefully set tables, and leisurely chats.
An elegant dish but surprisingly simple, bringing all the taste of the Mediterranean to the kitchen. Ideal for impressing your guests at the table!
Whether you want to prepare it for a special dinner, for Sunday, or for a romantic occasion, for Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, the fisherman’s risotto is within everyone’s reach.
Creamy, rich in aromas, enveloping, the perfect dish to conquer without spending hours and hours at the stove!
In this article, you will find not only the step-by-step recipe but also:
🌾the secrets to achieving a perfectly creamy risotto,
🔄️most loved variations,
⚠️mistakes to avoid,
❄️advice on storage and which rice to choose,
and as always… the perfect wine pairing box to accompany 🍷
Before starting, I’ll leave you with some other delicious fish-based recipes 💙🐚✨
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 persons
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 11 oz Monkfish
- 1.5 lbs Clams
- 10 Shrimps
- 11 oz Squid
- 1 Onion
- Parsley
- Olive oil (about 1.5 tbsp per person)
- Salt
- Half Carrot
- Celery (about 1.4 oz)
- Half cup White wine
- Fish broth (vegetable if unavailable)
Tools
- Bowl
- Cutting board
- Pan
- Knife
- Saucepan
- Lid
Preparation
First, let’s deal with the clams. Check if there are any already open, in which case discard them.
Rinse them under running water and put them in a bowl with cold water, add a tablespoon of salt and let them purge for about 4 hours.
During this time, you should shake the clams very often (just stir them with your hands) to release the sand.
Change the water every time the sand settles at the bottom. After the purging time, rinse the clams again and place them in a large saucepan.
Add a little olive oil, a couple of garlic cloves, fresh parsley, chili pepper, and turn the heat to a fairly high flame.
Cover with a lid and let it go for a few minutes. As the clams open, remove them from the saucepan and place them on a plate.
Clams that remain closed should be discarded, they aren’t good to eat. When all the clams are open, strain the cooking liquid and set it aside.
Clean the shrimps and cut them into chunks (leave one whole per person to decorate the dish). Put shrimp shells and heads in a saucepan with a drizzle of oil.
Sauté, then add water (at least 2 quarts), finely chopped celery, carrot, and half onion, and bay leaf. Simmer for about 40 minutes. The broth is essential to give flavor to the rice.
Finally, take care of cleaning the monkfish and squid (I got help at the fish market to save time!).
Sauté in a pan with half a finely chopped onion. Then add the rice and let it toast.
Deglaze with a bit of white wine, and once it’s completely evaporated, adjust the salt and add the monkfish in pieces.
Pour the strained cooking water of the mussels and a ladle of broth, and let it cook over a low flame.
At halfway cooking, add the squid while the shrimps (even the whole ones with shells) only in the last 5 minutes. Continue over low flame, adding more broth little by little.
Stir from time to time, and when cooked, turn off the heat, add a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly chopped parsley.
Vigorously stir to make a creamy and glossy risotto. Serve at the table with the whole shrimp set aside for each guest.
There you have it, your delicious seafood risotto is ready to be enjoyed! I hope it made your mouth water!
Article protected by copyright © – Gabriella Geroni © All Rights Reserved
Notes
🌟 How to make a perfect seafood risotto (the secrets)
🍲 The broth must be hot (cold stops the cooking).
🐟 Never overcook the fish: it becomes rubbery.
🍚 Never wash the rice.
🍷 Use dry wine, not sweet.
🌾 Risotto is creamed with oil, not butter.
🥣 Do not add all the broth at once.
🐠 Prepare the fish in advance to avoid stress.
Which rice is best for seafood risotto?
For a perfect seafood risotto, the best rice is always one of the great risotto rice, those capable of:
✔ releasing starch in a creamy way
✔ staying al dente without breaking
✔ withstanding longer cooking (fish releases liquids, broth is more watery)
Here are the 3 best rice for a seafood risotto:
🥇 1. Carnaroli – the king of risottos
It is the most used by chefs and is perfect for marinara because:
it has long and consistent grains
releases the right amount of starch
DOES NOT overcook
perfectly holds creaming and cooking with more “mobile” liquids like fish broths
👉 It is the number one choice.
🥈 2. Vialone Nano – creamy and velvety
It has a smaller grain but absorbs a lot and provides a fantastic natural creaminess.
Perfect if you like:
a risotto creamier and softer
with a slightly deeper grain
👉 Excellent in fish recipes where you want a more “all’onda” consistency.
🥉 3. Arborio – good but more delicate
It is the most common at home, perfectly fine but requires more attention because:
it tends to overcook sooner
releases more starch, so much creamier risotto but less structured
👉 If you use it, cook it al dente and keep an eye on the liquids.
📌 Which NOT to use at all
❌ Roma rice, Originario
❌ Basmati or Jasmine
❌ rice for salads (Parboiled, Ribe, etc.)
❌ Whole or quick-cooking rice
They do not have the right structure or starch for a real risotto.
🎯 CONCLUSION
For seafood risotto:
✨ Best overall: Carnaroli
✨ Creamy alternative: Vialone Nano
✨ Pantry choice: Arborio
🐠 Variants of seafood risotto
• Red seafood risotto
Add 4 tablespoons of tomato puree or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• Quick version (with frozen fish)
Use a quality fish mix and cook it only in the final minutes.
• Spicy
Add fresh or dried chili pepper during toasting.
• Without clams
Replace them with mussels or cuttlefish or fresh salmon cut into cubes.
🍷 Wine Box – What to pair with fisherman’s risotto
• Vermentino di Sardegna
Fresh, savory, perfect with seafood.
• Falanghina del Sannio
Balanced, fragrant, ideal with mussels and clams.
• Lugana DOC
Elegant and smooth, great for a special dinner.
• Prosecco Brut
Perfect for a fish main course when you want a more festive pairing.
🔄 Useful Substitution Box
Carnaroli rice → Arborio or Roma
Fresh shrimp → frozen
Homemade fish broth → light vegetable broth if really needed
White wine → water + light lemon juice for those who can’t
Parsley → basil for a more summery version
🧊 Storing the seafood risotto
In the fridge: 1 day maximum
Freezing: not recommended
Reheating: add a tablespoon of hot broth, stir over low heat. DO NOT use the microwave (it ruins it).
👉 With leftovers, you can make amazing seafood arancini.
❌ Mistakes to absolutely avoid
⚠️ Using ready salted broth → the risotto becomes too salty
⚠️ Stirring too vigorously → the grains break
⚠️ Serving it dry → it would no longer be a risotto, but boiled rice!
1. Can I use frozen fish?
If you really want to, yes, but it must be of excellent quality! Defrost it well and cook it only in the last minutes.
2. How can I make the risotto creamier?
Add filtered mussel water + final oil during creaming.
3. Which wine to use for deglazing?
A good dry white wine: Vermentino, Falanghina, Trebbiano.
4. Why is the risotto watery?
You added too much broth at once or undercooked the rice.
