Hands down the BEST risotto I had in my life. The sweetness of the mussel stock worked perfectly with the squid ink and crab meat to flavour the risotto. Scarlet prawns and the coral sauce made from its juice were just the jewel on top and the added flavour bomb, all tied together with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 30min prep, 45min cooking
Serves: 2
Ingredients Fish Stock
- 1/2 cup leek diced
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup carrots diced
- 2 cups fish stock (from supermarket)
- 2 cups mussel stock*
- 2 tbsp kombu dashi**
- 2 tbsp oil
- salt
Squid Ink and Crab Risotto
- 1 1/2 cup arborio rice
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 100g crab meat
Scarlet Prawns
- 4 scarlet prawns with shells
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp kombu dashi**
- 1 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin***
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
Coral Sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin***
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp kombu dashi**
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 2 heaped tbsp thickened cream
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Garnish
- 2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 lemon
* I made mussels for entree earlier and the left over juice were perfect to add an extra layer and dimension to the otherwise bland shop bought fish stock. To replicate this, add 1/2 cup chopped leek, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic in a pan and sauté till soft and fragrant. Add 1 kilo of fresh mussels, stir and mix well, then add 1 cup of dry white wine. Bring to boil with lid on until the mussels have just opened, stir occasionally. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley to finish and reserve the excess stock for the risotto later (if you can resist from not drinking it as it's super sweet and full of flavour from the mussels).
** Japanese stock made from seaweed. Available from most Japanese grocery.
*** Sweet Japanse cooking wine found in most Japanese grocery.
Method
1. Make the fish stock by sauteeing the onion, leek and carrots in a stock pot with some oil until softened and fragrant. Add the fish stock, the mussel stock and kombu dashi and bring to boil. Simmer over medium to low heat for 20 minutes or longer while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Prepare the prawns by carefully removing all the legs, leaving the whole prawn with its shell intact.
3. Make the marinade by mixing the light soya sauce, kombu dashi, sake and mirin (1 tbsp each) in a glass bowl with 1 clove of minced garlic. Put the prawns in making sure it's covered well by the marinade and set aside.
4. Start the risotto by sautéing the chopped shallot in a cast iron pan over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Add the rice and mix well for a few minute until golden. Add the white wine and stir to combine and let the liquid to absorb slowly. Add the squid ink and a ladle of the hot fish stock. Mix the rice well to incorporate with the stock and cook over medium/low heat until all the liquid had been fully absorbed. Add another ladle of the hot stock and repeat the process until the rice is cooked with just a slightly bite in the middle. Add more liquid if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning if required, take it off the heat and keep warm with a lid on.
5. Melt 2 tbsp of butter with 1 tbsp of oil on medium heat, place the prawns on its belly upright inside the pan. Add in the marinade, and the additional mirin, sake, and kombu dashi, close the lid and cook for about 5 minutes or until the prawns are just cooked through.
6. Take the prawns out carefully and set aside. Add in the chicken stock to loosen the sauce, and stir in the cream and the tomato paste until fully mixed. Taste and make final adjustments to seasoning, finish with the lemon juice and take it off the heat.
7. Assemble by placing a portion of the squid ink risotto in the middle of the plate, drizzle with the coral sauce, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, then place the prawns on top and drizzle with a good squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!
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