The Feast of 7 Fishes - Italian Christmas Eve Dinner Made Easy With A 4-Fish Seafood Risotto

Seafood risotto is usually made with the seafood cooked right into the risotto. Although this makes a wonderful dish, I find that the seafood can easily become overcooked and get lost in the risotto, or that some diners can get lots of seafood while others get cheated. I find that flavoring the risotto with a seafood broth and then topping it with sautéed seafood is an unbeatable combination.

Servings: 4-6

• 1 pound risotto, made from Arborio rice prepared according to package directions and kept warm (see note)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 dozen small clams, rinsed
• 2 dozen small mussels, cleaned and de-bearded
• 12 large sea scallops
• 12 medium to large shrimp, shelled, cleaned, and de-veined
• 1/2 medium clove garlic, minced
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup white wine sauce (see below)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 to 6 lemon wedges, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Prepare the risotto according to package directions. Either keep the finished risotto warm in a 200ºF. oven or cook it while you prepare the rest of this recipe.
2. Put the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large sauté pan over high heat for about 30 seconds, or until the oil is hot but not smoking.
3. Cook the clams, mussels, and scallops (on both sides) for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the clams begin to open and the scallops begin to turn opaque.
4. Add the shrimp and cook everything for 1 minute more, until the shrimp turn pink on one side.
5. Turn the shrimp, add the garlic, and cook for a few seconds, until the garlic begins to turn golden.
6. Add the tomatoes followed by the sauce and cook for a moment or two until all the juices in the pan blend together.
7. Finish with a pat of butter or two and a splash of cream if desired.

The Sauce:

1. Add ¼ cup olive oil to the bottom of a saucepan, followed by 3-4 tablespoons of flour and stir over medium heat.
2. Slowly add 1 cup of white wine and continue stirring. (sauce will thicken).
3. Now slowly add about 1cup of clam broth and ½ cup of water. Stir until all the liquid is incorporated.
4. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the sauce reduces to the consistency of a smooth gravy.

Serving Seafood Risotto:

Stir some of the liquid part of the sauce into the risotto, then spoon the risotto onto individual serving plates. Top each serving with the remainder of the sauce and the seafood. If desired, arrange the mussels all along the rim of the platter or plate, then add the seafood in the center. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt and pepper, and garnish each serving plate with a lemon wedge.

Note about Arborio Rice:

Arborio rice, for making risotto, is sold in 1-kilogram boxes (2.2 pounds) and comes in two packages. The cooking time is about 15 minutes, but it's best prepared slightly underdone because it will continue cooking after it's removed from the heat.

Enjoy!

About Chef Silvia: For Chef Silvia Bianco, a native of Calabria region in Italy, food has always been an act of love, which Silvia shares in the form of a unique blend of culinary alchemy and life-enhancing recipes in her monthly newsletter, "A Note from the Chef". Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at Silvia's blog "Cooking with Chef Silvia" Visit her website for more recipes cooking tips and information on Chef Silvia's cooking classes Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Silvia_Bianco