Nigella Crab Risotto Recipes

CRAB & ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Trim and finely chop the celery, then peel and finely slice the shallots and garlic.
• Place a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, with 2 tablespoons of oil and 20g of the butter. Stir in the celery, shallot and garlic and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
• Turn the heat up and stir in the rice. After 1 to 2 minutes, pour in the wine and allow it to bubble away.
• Have your stock hot, ready to go. Once the wine has been absorbed, reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in a ladleful of stock; keep the rice moving to help it release the starch, which gives risotto its signature creaminess.
• Keep adding stock, a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente.
• Finely grate in half the lemon zest, stir through the brown crabmeat, then add the remaining butter. Finely grate in the Parmesan, season, beat everything together, then leave it off the heat with the lid on for a couple of minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the woody ends from your asparagus and halve the spears lengthways. Toss with a drizzle of oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.
• Stir the white crabmeat through the risotto. Pick and finely chop the parsley leaves and stir through, along with a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Divide between bowls and top with the asparagus, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, an extra grating of parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

CRAB RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat a large stockpot to medium-high, then add olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, tomato, bay leaf as well as salt & pepper. Saute until the onion is translucent.
• Add in 8 cups of water and crab shells, bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain out the crab shells, vegetables and spices. Reserve broth and keep on medium heat for use in the risotto.
• Bring a large frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil, shallots (or onion) and garlic. Cook until shallots are softened (1-2 minutes). Add the Arborio rice (or Carnaroli rice), cook (stirring occasionally) for 1-2 minutes before adding dry white wine.
• Add wine and cook for a minute, keeping the rice moving (stirring frequently). Add one-third to half of the crab stock, cook (stirring occasionally) for 3-5 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
• Add the remaining crab stock in ladled increments, allowing the rice to slowly absorb the liquid until the arborio rice becomes slightly translucent and is an al dente firmness and the core can still be seen in the center (about 20 minutes total time once broth is added).
• Add the crab meat, butter, mascarpone cheese, lemon zest and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and a thick, creamy risotto is achieved.
• Adjust the seasoning (if necessary), serve and garnish with large lump crab, parmigiano and green onions, dill, or parsley (if desired).

LEMON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put the shallots and celery into a Magimix and blitz until they are a finely chopped mush. Heat half the butter, the oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook to soften the mixture for about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't catch. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan and keep it at simmering point. Pour a ladleful of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed. Then add another ladleful and stir again. Continue doing this until the rice is al dente. You may not need all of the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle. Mix the lemon zest and the rosemary into the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, parmesan, cream and pepper. When the risotto is ready - when the rice is no longer chalky, but still has some bite - take it off the heat and add the bowl of eggy, lemony mixture, and the remaining butter and salt to taste. Serve with more grated parmesan if you wish, check the seasoning and dive in.

LEMON RISOTTO

Steps:

• Put the shallots and celery into a mini food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped. Heat half the butter, the oil and the shallot and celery mixture in a wide saucepan, and cook to soften the mixture for about 5 minutes, making sure it doesn't stick. Mix in the rice, stirring to give it a good coating of oil and butter. Meanwhile, heat the stock in another saucepan and keep it at the simmering point.
• Put a ladleful of the stock into the rice and keep stirring until the stock is absorbed. Then add another ladleful and stir again. Continue doing this until the rice is al dente. You may not need all of the stock, equally, you may need to add hot water from the kettle.
• Mix the lemon zest and the rosemary into the risotto, and in a small bowl beat the egg yolk, lemon juice, Parmesan, cream and pepper.
• When the risotto is ready - when the rice is no longer chalky, but still has some bite - take it off the heat and add the bowl of eggy, lemony mixture, and the remaining butter and salt, to taste. Serve with more Parmesan if you wish, check the seasoning and dive in.

FRESH CRAB AND PEA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the stock in a medium saucepan and keep it simmering over low heat.
• In a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, fennel, and poblano pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, thyme, saffron, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains with butter and oil. Add the wine and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering stock to the rice and cook, stirring frequently (see Cook's Note). When the stock is almost completely absorbed, continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, simmering the risotto until the stock is absorbed each time before adding more stock. Cook until the rice is al dente; it should take between 25 and 30 minutes.
• When the rice is done, stir in the creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Fold in the crabmeat and peas and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the crabmeat is warmed through. Add just enough simmering stock to make the risotto moist and creamy. Serve hot in large, shallow bowls and sprinkle with chives and lemon zest.

CRAB RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil together in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Do not brown, they should be translucent. Add the rice and saute for a further 3 to 5 minutes making sure the rice is well coated, Using a ladle, add about 1/2 cup of stock to the rice and stir over a medium heat until the rice is almost dry and all the stock has been incorporated. Repeat this process until the rice is cooked but still has a slight bite. The rice should be creamy and moist, not runny, and the cooking time should be around 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, fold in the crabmeat, chopped chives, and Parmesan. Drizzle sparingly with white truffle oil.

SQUINK RISOTTO

Steps:

• I have said that I usually use white wine or dry white Vermouth in a risotto, but I must concede that the recipes here don't appear to bear this out. I've got an excuse with this one, too: the whole point of this risotto is that it's black, tinted by the squid ink (the squink of my title) and I had no desire to lessen its impact with some pallid white wine. But it's not just a question of colour: the squid ink is so richly, headily flavored that nothing less than a robust red would stand up to it.
• As strange as it might sound for so exotic a dish, this may even pass muster as a storecupboard standby. The rice, the broth and the squid ink (it comes in sachets, from a good fishmonger or Italian deli, or online source) can be kept easily. I have marked the squid-ring topping as optional, but even that can live in the freezer for a few months.
• While I am more than happy to eat it plain black, I can't help feeling cheered by the jaunty tricolore adornment provided by the squid rings, red chile pepper and parsley. Not that I'm being cheered is altogether the point of such a beautiful, sombre dish, the perfect date meal for Goths.
• Cut the squid (if using) into thin rings and set aside while you get on with the risotto.
• Heat the broth until almost boiling, and keep the broth warm in a saucepan on the lowest heat
• Warm the 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and soften the sliced scallions for 2 minutes on a low heat. Keep stirring and don't let them burn. Grate in the garlic and turn up the heat. Toss in the rice and turn it in the oil and so it is slicked and shiny. Pour in the red wine and let it bubble up over the rice.
• Wearing disposable vinyl gloves, snip in the squid ink and carefully dunk the squeezed out sachets into the separate pan of hot broth to get out any remaining ink. Then add and keep adding ladlefuls of hot broth to the rice, letting one ladleful be absorbed before adding the next, stirring all the while.
• When the rice has had 15 minutes, you can be less assiduous on the stirring front and get on with the squid, if you're using this. In a frying pan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and the chile, until sizzling, then add the squid rings and cook, stirring or shaking the pan a little, for 3 minutes. Season with ground pepper, to taste.
• By this time, the black risotto should be ready, so divide it between warmed shallow bowls or plates, top with chile and squid, if using, and scatter with parsley.

RISOTTO CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• While oil is heating, mix crabmeat, bread crumbs, risotto, green onion, egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, bell pepper, parsley, seafood seasoning, seasoned salt, hot pepper sauce, and black pepper together in a bowl until well combined.
• Place large spoonfuls of the crab mixture into the skillet, forming 6 cakes. Cook until golden brown, turning only once halfway through, about 10 minutes.

CRAB RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the stock in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Melt the butter in a separate medium saucepan, add the onion and garlic, and fry on a low-medium heat for 5 mins until softened but not coloured. Tip in the rice and cook for 1-2 mins until the rice is hot. Add the lemon zest with 1 ladleful of hot stock and stir constantly. Once the stock has been absorbed, continue to add it, a ladleful at a time, until the rice is cooked - this will take around 18 mins.
• When the rice is almost cooked but still has a little bite, tip in the peas, lemon juice and crabmeat, then season and cook for 3 mins more. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, add a knob of butter and a splash more stock, and leave to sit for 2 mins. Sprinkle over the chives and serve with lemon wedges.

LIGURIAN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer. While broth heats, place a wide saucepan over low heat and add butter and oil. When butter has melted, add onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Add rice and stir until well coated.
• Raise heat to medium and add wine to rice. Stir until wine is absorbed, then reduce heat slightly. Begin adding ladlefuls of hot broth, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Cook rice until al dente (tender but slightly chewy), about 20 minutes. All broth may not be needed; if additional liquid is needed, boiling water may be used.
• Remove pan from heat and add pecorino, mixing it in well. Season with white pepper to taste, and mound on a large platter. Scatter with toasted pine nuts and basil leaves, and serve immediately.