Prawn Risotto

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Succulent, sweet, juicy prawns served in a creamy, dreamy, rich risotto bursting with flavours from prawn shells, fennel and a hint of spice. This crustacean creation is surprisingly easy to make yet fabulous enough to make anyone believe you have been in the kitchen for hours.

I cook this risotto on the hob and in the oven

Typically a risotto is made on the hob. After sautéing the onion and garlic, and adding the rice and wine, hot stock is added, ladleful at a time, whilst stirring continuously. The stirring is very important as this helps to release the starch on the rice and this, in turn, will give you a much creamier risotto. Safe to say this is an important part of the process.

However, if you can reduce the hands on time without compromising on texture and flavour, I consider that a win. I make risottos with a mix of oven-baking and enthusiastic stirring on the hob. You still end up with a creamy, rich risotto but also a little extra time to clear up, make sides and lay the table! If nothing else, time for a quick glass of wine! This is how I make my risotto:

1. I stir continuously and enthusiastically after adding the rice and wine to the onion, and also after adding the stock and bringing to a simmer.
2. I then cook it for 15 minutes in the oven.
3. Finally, I cook it on the hob again, with more continuous and enthusiastic stirring, to bring out all the natural creaminess.

What should I serve with this risotto?

To be honest, I do not go all out on sides at all. The Prawn Risotto is the star of the show and I want to keep it that way. Whatever you choose – leaves, broccoli, green beans, samphire, asparagus – keep it simple. Indeed, if serving as a starter, I serve as is.

It’s all about the stock really!

To be honest, this risotto is really all about the stock. Of course the sweet, light. meaty prawns add the kapow, but it’s the stock that adds the incredible depth and layers of flavour that sets this sumptuous dish apart. Get the stock right and your risotto will be dreamy. I buy fish stock, which I then enhance by cooking it again with prawn shells (amazing extra flavour and the smell as you cook them is outstanding!), vegetables and gentle spices. If you cannot get fish stock, just use water, add a few extra prawn shells and follow the same instructions – it will still taste incredible.

Lyngen Lodge

This recipe is very similar to my Lobster Risotto, which I posted during Covid. This prawn version, however, is a copycat recipe for a Shrimp Risotto we enjoyed during our trip to Lyngen Lodge, last April. Out of all the exceptional food we ate on this holiday, this was the starter on the penultimate day of our trip, and was part of one of my favourite menus. It was followed by Baked Halibut with Norwegian Butter Sauce and finished with Blueberry Clafoutis. Everything was gorgeous!

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How to make Prawn Risotto

This recipe is based on my Risotto – Core Recipe. For more risotto ideas, please take a look at the Core Recipe.

Collect all your ingredients together:

Ingredients to make a totally amazing Fish Stock –

• garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• fennel, washed and roughly chopped
• onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• carrot, washed and roughly chopped
• celery, washed, trimmed and chopped
• olive oil
• fennel seeds
• chilli flakes
• prawn shells
• tomatoes, chopped
• saffron
• fine sea salt
• freshly ground white pepper
• good quality fish stock (or water)

Ingredients for the risotto –

• banana shallot or onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• fennel, trimmed and roughly chopped
• unsalted butter
• olive oil
• garlic, peeled and crushed
• risotto rice e.g. Arborio
• fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• dry white wine
• fish stock (see above)
• milk, if necessary
• bay leaf
• double/heavy cream
• unsalted butter
• raw prawns
• parmesan cheese, optional

To serve –

• chopped parsley
• lemon wedges
• fresh bread
• fresh green salad or green vegetables
• parmesan cheese, optional (See note below)

First, make the Shellfish Stock:

The key to this dish is making an incredible stock. I use Waitrose fresh fish stock as a base and then zhoosh it up, adding many extra layers of amazing, yet harmonising flavours. The stock can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored, covered and in the fridge.

1. Prepare the vegetables –
   • garlic – peeled and roughly chopped
   • fennel – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
   • onion – peeled and roughly chopped
   • carrot – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped, no need to peel
   • celery – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
2. Heat the olive oil over a moderate heat, add the garlic, fennel, onion, carrot, celery, fennel seeds and chilli and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are soft and lightly caramelised.
3. Add the prawn shells and cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes, stirring from time to time. The smell as you add these, will be staggeringly good!
4. Now add the tomatoes, saffron, salt, pepper and fish stock. Stir well.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook on low for 30 minutes, with the lid partially on.
6. Strain the stock through a fine or conical sieve. Press gently on the vegetables and shells to extract all the amazing flavours and stock.
7. Measure the stock and check you have 1 litre. If you have less, top up with water.

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Now make the wonderful risotto:

1. Melt the butter and olive oil over a medium high heat and add the prawns. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes on each side, or until pink, curled and cooked; remove from the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan – it may be necessary to cook in batches.
2. Set the prawns aside, separating them into those you are stirring into the risotto and those, including prawns with shells on, you will serve on top of the risotto.
3. Pulse the onion/shallots and fennel in a food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, finely chop by hand.
4. Turn the heat to medium, add the shallots/onions and fennel to the pan and cook until translucent and very slightly caramelised – around 5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute.
5. Next, add the rice and seasoning. Stir well, ensuring all the rice grains are covered in the butter and oil.
6. Pour in the wine and continue to cook to reduce the wine. Stir continuously as it reduces, until it has almost disappeared.
7. Pour in all bar 100ml of the stock. Bring to a simmer stirring continuously and enthusiastically.
8. As soon as it comes to the boil, add the bayleaf, cover and pop into a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

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Now finish and serve this wonderful risotto:

1. After 15 minutes take it out of the oven and stir thoroughly. Taste the rice to see if it is nearly cooked. If not, cook over a low heat on the hob, stirring continuously and enthusiastically, for 5 minutes, or until the rice is nearly cooked, stock reduced and the risotto is creamy. Remove the bay leaf.
2. Add the butter, cream, parmesan (if using) and prawns. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for a couple of minutes until everything is heated through. If necessary, add some, or all, of the remaining stock, until you get the consistency you are looking for. If it is still not cooked, and you need more liquid, use fresh milk. The risotto will continue to cook when you take it off the heat, so it should be slightly wetter than the finished texture you are seeking.
3. Finish with the remaining prawns, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
4. If serving the risotto as a starter, serve it, as is. As a main course, it is delicious with salad or green vegetables and fresh bread on the side.

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What prawns should I use to make this risotto?

The prawns I use varies, depending on what I have available. Here I used –

• 20 green/raw king prawns, shells on. I kept 6 with their shells on to decorate the risotto; I peeled the remainder and used the shells in the stock, plus
• a mix of larger and smaller king prawns, bought green/raw but already peeled.

If you buy a higher proportion of prawns with their shells on, make sure you use these extra shells in the stock – the more the better.

Can I make this risotto solely with peeled prawns?

Yes you can! Simply make the stock, as above, but without the shells and decorate the top of the risotto purely with peeled prawns. The risotto will still be wonderfully delicious, but the additional shellfish flavour from the shells will obviously be reduced.

Can I use cooked prawns to make this risotto?

Yes you can, although raw/green prawns will add more flavour. If using cooked prawns, simply add at the end and heat through.

Should I use parmesan cheese or not?

The jury is definitely out on whether or not to add and/or serve parmesan cheese with your Prawn Risotto. If I was to incorporate any, I would add just a little, say 25g – 50g, for its unami effect, salty tang and added creaminess. Any extra can be served on the side. Totally up to you! No judgment here!!

Made this recipe?

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