Risotto with Snapper in a Saffron Broth

If I were a craftier cook, I would have made this risotto as a primo and the fish from my previous post as a secondo, it would really be an elegant feast. Though I’m not sure how I would keep the fish from drying out while the risotto was being prepare and eaten, I’m sure that there is an easy way, but I’m not sure what it is. I suppose I could toss things around a bit and serve the primo as a secondo and vice versa like they do at the Fraschetta del Mare in Anzio, but as it goes in our house, we only do one course meals. If we hosted more dinner parties, something we need to do, maybe we would try for the multi-course meal, though Americans aren’t really used to that and disappoint my desire to feed them by not eating everything on their plates.

There is nothing like a seafood risotto made with fish broth, I try to make a bunch to freeze as often as we eat whole fish, but I find myself making excuses in my head, like not wanting to stink up the house or just feeling too tired to do it. Pretty legit, but still, it is worth the trouble and stink. This was perfect since the fish cooked in the broth, which gave it optimal flavor and no effort or extra stink. You can really taste the saffron in the risotto which was very subtle in the fish. I threw in some grape tomatoes for color plus I think that a little tomato goes really nicely with a seafood risotto.

If I were to serve this at a dinner party, I wouldn’t expect there to be any leftover fish. I think any fish would go well as the meat of the dish, shrimp or lobster would be delectable, I wish my husband could eat them.

Risotto with Snapper in Saffron Broth

• 1 cup of Carnaroli or Arborio rice (Italians measure rice by demitasse cups, 1 cup for each person and one for the pot)
• 1 cup of snapper, leftover from Snapper alla Matalotta (if you don’t have any leftover, you can use any seafood or shellfish and it would be delicious)
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ an onion, chopped finely
• 5 cups fish and saffron broth from Snapper alla Matalotta
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 2 tbsp butter
• a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
• salt to taste

Chop the onion into fine pieces and bring the broth to a simmer. Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and melt butter at the bottom of the pan. When the butter is melted add onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add rice and coat it in the butter, toasting it a bit. When the rice becomes opaque, after about 1 minute, add the wine to the pan, enough to cover the rice, stirring frequently.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, add a ladleful of broth to the pan and continue stirring. Repeat, once the rice starts to absorb the broth add the tomatoes. Continue adding the broth as the rice absorbs it, you want it to almost dry out before adding the broth each time. Add the fish when the rice is almost al dente, the fish is already cooked through so you don’t want it to dry out at all. If using fresh fish, add it after the first or second ladle of broth.

When the rice is finished it should be al dente and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and toss in the chopped parsley and a tab of butter. Serve immediately.

Two Years Ago: Linguine with Artichokes & Cicoria Saltata in Padella

~ by italicious on November 8, 2010.