Seafood and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Risotto

Seafood risotto is an evergreen dish of Italian cuisine that manages to bring everyone together from North to South.

Rice has been grown in southern Italy since at least the 14th century. From the south, rice gradually made its way north toward northern Italy, where the marshes of the Po river valley were suitable for rice cultivation. According to a legend, a young glassblower's apprentice of the Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano from Flanders, who used to use saffron as a pigment, added it to a rice dish at a wedding feast. However, the question of who invented the risotto in Milan remains unanswered today.

A high-starch (amylopectin), low-amylose round medium- or short- grain white rice is usually used for making risotto. Such rices can absorb liquids and release starch, so they are stickier than the long grain varieties. The principal varieties used in Italy are Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano.

And this recipe is so adaptable. You can use a simple combination of scallops, shrimp, and mussels, or use whatever combination of seafood you like. Clams, calamari, and chunks of flaky white fish are a few more possibilities. You could even splurge and add some cooked lobster meat just before serving, or use only one kind of seafood in the dish.

On olive oil saute chopped onions, peppers and minced garlic with bay leaves for a few minutes.

Then add seafood mix and cook for 3 minutes on high heat.

Throw in raw rice and toast it for 2 minutes while stirring.

Add chopped fresh tomato and sun-dried tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and basil, and cook for a minute.

Cover with white wine, then let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes.

Pour hot vegetable stock and a tablespoon of tomato paste over the rice and cook for about 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.

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Seafood and Sun-Dried Tomatoes Risotto

Yield: 2

Ingredients

• Seafood mix - 300 g
• Onion - 1/2
• Red pepper - 1/2
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Tomato - 1
• Sun-dried tomatoes - 50 g
• Arborio rice - 200 g
• White wine - 100 ml
• Olive oil - 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaves - 2
• Basil - 1/2 teaspoon
• Vegetable stock - 700 ml
• Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon

Instructions

1. On olive oil saute chopped onions, peppers and minced garlic with bay leaves for a few minutes.
2. Then add seafood mix and cook for 3 minutes on high heat.
3. Throw in raw rice and toast it for 2 minutes while stirring.
4. Add chopped fresh tomato and sun-dried tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and basil, and cook for a minute.
5. Cover with white wine, then let the alcohol evaporate for 2 minutes.
6. Pour hot vegetable stock and a tablespoon of tomato paste over the rice and cook for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.