Zucchini, Prawn and Smoked Salmon Risotto

Definitely the best risotto this year. And believe it or not, this is recipe number 100! Omedetoooo H&M's cooking notes!






Serves 2-3 as a dinner:

zucchini purée:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small zucchini
1/2 onion, finely sliced
salt, pepper
a bunch of fresh basil

risotto:
1 small zucchini
about 300gr fresh shrimps, peeled and cleaned
2 small cups (about 250g) arborio or japonica rice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
a handful of parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic
thyme (fresh or dry)
50ml vermouth (or Marsala, Martini bianco)
50ml white wine
about 750ml vegetable stock (equiv. 2 cubes)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, pepper
a few leaves of basil, chopped
about 100gr smoked salmon
about 30g butter



Make the zucchini purée: Slice the first zucchini. Sauté it in a frying pan with olive oil and the half onion. Add salt and pepper, continue cooking with occasional stirring on low/medium heat for 15min. Add the fresh basil and blend. Reserve this purée.

Slice the second zucchini. In the same friying pan, sauté the slices with little olive oil, salt and pepper (not too much) and let then get a nice golden color on both sides. Reserve.

In the same frying pan, sauté the shrimps in a bit of olive oil, with mashed garlic, a little salt and pepper (a couple of minutes, just until cooked). Reserve.

Start making your basic risotto:
Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Put the olive oil in a separate large pan, add the onion, then 1 clove of mashed garlic and the parsley and cook very gently for about 5 minutes, without colouring, until soft. Add the rice (it will sizzle) and turn up the heat. Add the thyme. Don't let the rice catch on the bottom of the pan, so keep it moving.

Pour in the vermouth and wine. Keep stirring all the time until it has evaporated, leaving the rice with a lovely perfume.

Add the stock to the rice a ladle at a time, stirring and waiting until it has been fully absorbed before adding the next. Turn the heat down to low so the rice doesn't cook too quickly, otherwise the outside of each grain will be stodgy and the inside hard and nutty (you don't want to cook it too slowly either, or it will turn into rice pudding!) and continue to add ladlefuls of stock until it has all be absorbed. It should take about 30 minutes for the rice to have softened but is still a little al dente. Check the texture from time to time. You might not need to add all the stock. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. Add turmeric, lemon juice.

When the risotto is cooked incorporate the zucchini purée, the grilled zucchini and shrimps, the smoked salmon, fresh basil. Add the butter, turn off the heat and let it rest lid on for a minute.
Mix and serve, decorate with shrimps, salmon and basil.