Seafood Risotto

Instructions

1. 1

   To prepare the seafood risotto, start by cleaning all the shellfish and crustaceans. Remember to discard any mussels or clams that are already open or broken. First, prepare the mussels: remove the barnacles with a knife and then remove the byssal threads. Finally, scrape off any impurities with a scouring pad and rinse thoroughly.

2. 2

   After soaking the clams in water with salt for a couple of hours, which is the time needed for them to release the sand, drain and rinse them. Remember to tap each clam on the cutting board or in the sink to make sure they are all intact and not full of sand.

3. 3

   Clean the inside of the squid and detach the skin. Then, cut into strips about 1 cm thick and cut these into pieces about 2 cm thick.

4. 4

   Finally, clean the shrimp tails by removing the legs, removing the shell and the black thread on the back; simply cut the surface and detach it with a knife or a toothpick.

5. 5

   Now that everything is ready, move to the stove. Start by cooking the mussels. Place a large pot on the stove, turn the heat to high, and add the mussels. Cover with a lid and cook until they open, shaking the pot occasionally. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Strain the liquid, pouring it into a colander placed in a bowl.

6. 6

   Wait a few moments before starting to shuck them, so they don't burn your fingers. Set aside 2-3 whole mussels for each plate; you will need them for the final garnish. Cook the clams. Place the pot back on the stove, turn the heat on, and add the clams. Cover with a lid and cook until they open, shaking the pot occasionally. The clams will open in about 1-2 minutes; as soon as they open, strain the liquid, pouring it into the same bowl used to collect the mussel liquid.

7. 7

   Let them cool slightly before shucking them as well, keeping 2-3 pieces for each plate. Heat the vegetable broth and chop the celery, carrot, and chives. Mince finely; peel and mince the garlic cloves, leaving them whole. Finally, clean the chili pepper and then chop it, and mince the parsley. Set everything aside and move back to the stove. Place a saucepan on the heat, drizzle with olive oil, and add the chopped celery, carrot, chives, and garlic.

8. 8

   Sauté over low heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables have softened, remove the garlic, increase the heat to high, and add the squid. Sauté for about 1 minute before adding the shrimp.

9. 9

   Cook for another minute, and when the liquid has evaporated, deglaze with 40 g of dry white wine. When the alcohol has completely evaporated, turn off the heat and transfer the squid and shrimp to a bowl, cover with a lid, and keep warm. In the same pan, add the rice and toast it over high heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent the grains from burning.

10. 10

    Once toasted, deglaze with the remaining white wine (i.e., 50 g) and wait for the alcohol to evaporate before cooking the rice with the broth. You can moisten it little by little with ladlefuls until the cooking is complete. Add the mussel and clam liquid and stir occasionally, but not too much.

11. 11

    When there are about 1-2 minutes left until the end of cooking, add the shrimp and squid, the mussels and clams and let the flavors meld together. Turn off the heat and finish with cold butter, cut into cubes,

12. 12

    chopped parsley, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Your seafood risotto is ready; garnish the plates with the reserved mussels and clams.