Fresh crab and pea risotto

Good stock is one of the keys to this vibrant risotto.

Credit: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6-8 cups good seafood stock
• 28 g unsalted butter 
• 1½ tbsp (15 ml) good olive oil 
• ½ cup small-diced shallots (2 large) 
• ½ cup chopped fennel, cored 
• ½ cup seeded and small-diced poblano chilli (pepper) 
• 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves) 
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 
• ½ tsp saffron threads 
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1½ cups (280 g / 10 oz) arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio 
• ½ cup creme fraiche 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 450 g (16 oz) very good fresh lump crabmeat, picked through for shells 
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted 
• Minced fresh chives and freshly grated lemon zest, for serving 

Instructions

1. Heat the stock in a medium saucepan and keep it simmering over low heat.
2. In a medium (about 26 cm) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, fennel and poblano and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, thyme, saffron and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes.
3. 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 ½ cup of the simmering stock to the rice and cook, stirring frequently (see Note). When the stock is almost completely absorbed, continue adding stock, ½ 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.
4. When the rice is done, stir in the creme fraiche, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp 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.

Note

• I find that using a ½-cup ladle for the stock makes it easy to see how much to add.

Recipe from Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter). Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.