SEAFOOD RISOTTO

And for the adults, yesterday I made seafood risotto as a main dish. Actually Niccolo' loves seafood, so he enjoyed it too. Please remember that children under three are not supposed to eat shellfish, as it is extremely allergenic. If you have time you can use fresh seafood (mussels and clams with shells require a long time to be cleaned), otherwise you can buy a mixture of cooked seafood at the fish counter in your supermarket - Waitrose for me is the best!. You need clams, prawns, mussels and squid. Cod or monkfish have to be purchased separately as they are not usually included in the mixture.


Here is the recipe that serves about 4 people:

12 tablespoons Carnaroli rice (I usually calculate 3 tablespoons for an adult and 2 tablespoons for a child)
1 small piece of cod (or monkfish, more expensive but much tastier)
1 package of  prepared and cooked seafood cocktail (much easier than fresh fish!!!!!)
Parsley (also for decoration)
1 clove of garlic
Olive oil


First of all, cook the cod or monkfish in a bain marie for 15 or 20 minutes.
Put some olive oil in a large pan. Heat the oil and then add the garlic. Sweat it over a gentle heat until the garlic becomes golden in colour, then quickly remove it from the pan and discard it. Now, turn the heat to medium and add the seafood into the pan. After a few minutes add the rice; when the sauce is drying, cover with the water you have used for the bain-marie- adding some salt- (or fish-stock) and let it simmer. Check every few minutes and add water/stock if needed. From the moment in which you put the rice in the pan, it takes 20 minutes for it to be ready. Towards the end, when it is almost ready, add some fresh parsley, black pepper, and a bit (but only a bit, like 1 teaspoon!) of  butter. Taste it and add salt if necessary. To serve it nicely, I usually put every portion in a small bowl then I turn it upside down on the plate. I add a sprig of parsley in the middle...and that's it!!!!!Ready in 30 minutes with no effort at all!You can drink your aperitif while it's cooking!!!