A hot bowl of risotto is the perfect comfort food for cold winter nights, and this one is like a savoury rice pudding studded with buttery garlic prawns.
I always have a few bags of rice in the cupboard. Basmati, Arborio and pudding rice are all very handy to have. Arborio, an Italian short-grain rice that remains firm but creamy once cooked, is the best for risottos. It blends really well with other flavours and can take lots of strong ingredients, so add more Parmesan and black pepper than you would normally.
Risotto is easy to make but does have one rule that often turns people off: you’ll need to slowly add the liquid. Use stock if you have it. Add the next ladle of stock once the first is absorbed. It can be quite relaxing to make, and in reality it only takes about 20 minutes, which is not a timely investment for a tasty Friday night supper. I usually grate the cheese and prepare the prawns while keeping an eye on the pot.
Coming from a large family, I always have portion control in mind. There’s nothing worse than dishing out a stew only to find that one bowl only comprises carrots and onion. So for some dishes, like this one, I add the star ingredient separately. I evenly distribute the prawns on top of the risotto, thereby creating harmonious mealtimes with no covetous glances.
For this recipe I use ready-cooked fantail prawns, which are widely available and convenient. Unfortunately, these usually come from fish farms in Asia, so do read the back of the pack or ask your fishmonger. Of course, if you can source them, fresh prawns would be great for this: simply peel and add to the garlic butter to cook a little longer.
A good Parmesan cheese is invaluable to have in the fridge. I keep the rinds to add to pasta dishes or risotto. Simply grate off what you can, then pop the rind into the sauce to leave to simmer and to release even more flavour. Just remember to take it out before you serve up. Any nutty, strong cheese can be used in place of the Parmesan. I usually don’t mix cheese with seafood, but in this case the Parmesan is delicious with the sweet prawns.
The combination of lemon and garlic is hard to beat. I often make these garlic prawns to have as a tapas or starter with crusty bread. It’s very fast and easy. The butter is melted, then the garlic and prawns stirred through until piping hot. I usually add an extra bit of lemon juice just before serving. The citrus burst from the lemon is perfect with the rich, creamy cheese-laden risotto, and it pulls the entire dish together.
Be careful not to burn the garlic as this would ruin the sauce. It burns quite easily, so just add it to the butter and watch to make sure it doesn’t colour, and remove it from the heat as soon as the prawns are heated through. This isn’t diet food. It’s an indulgent, rich treat. It’s not intended to be eaten on a daily basis, but when you do cook food like this, just enjoy it.
RISOTTO WITH GARLIC PRAWNS: SERVES 4
The five ingredients
- 400g Arborio rice
- 180g Parmesan, roughly grated
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 150g fantail prawns, cooked
From the cupboard
- Olive oil
- 100g butter
- 2½ pints water
Method
Heat oil in heavy-based pan. Add rice for a few minutes till it begins to crackle.
Heat 2 ½ pints water and add a ladleful at a time. Make sure each addition is absorbed before adding another, stirring all the time. This process will take about 15-20 minutes. The rice should be creamy but still al dente in the centre.
Add plenty of sea salt and black pepper along with the Parmesan. Stir well to combine. Remove from the heat and stir though the juice from half of the lemon. Keep warm.
Heat the butter in a little saucepan. Once melted, add the crushed garlic and prawns. Once it comes to a simmer, remove. Divide the risotto between the bowl and spoon some prawns, along with the garlic butter, over each serving. Add a wedge of lemon to each bowl.
Every Thursday we'll tweet the five ingredients from @irishtimeslife so you can have them ready for Friday. Email givemefive@irishtimes.com with your suggestions for recipes.
