This meal was great - despite the badly lit picture you see here (I promise I’m working on it). We had my foodie friend Adrienne over to share in the feast and risotto from scratch is not as intimidating as you would think. I was able to chat, snack on cheese and crackers, and prepare dinner. I really tried to loosen up, and did a lot of changes and measurements based on how it looked and tasted. I didn’t add the fennel - I have a strong, demon-like aversion to the stuff. I added marjoram instead, and of course the saffron which makes everything oh so pretty. Like I was expecting the Whole Foods mussels were very disappointing. We had to throw out 2/3 of the bag before we could start cooking, and then half of those didn’t open after cooking which equals no eating. Next time I want seafood, it’s the crustacean experts from Long Island that set up at the Green Market for me. The squid was tender, but the Tilapia I added didn’t add a whole lot of meatiness or flavor. The frozen shrimp tasted great - a tip here - add the shrimp to dishes frozen so you know when they’re done and pink, and you’re more likely not to over cook them. I also didn’t make my own fish stock, I know, a Jamie Oliver sin, but the whole thing turned out great. I hope the leftovers are ok, sans mussels of course. Here’s the recipe below. Don’t be afraid of different creatures from the deep!

Risotto ai Frutti de Mare (Seafood Risotto)

3.5 lb (about) mixed seafood, cleaned

pinch of dried chili

pinch of saffron strands

juice of 1 lemon

32fl oz of fish stock

olive oil, butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 a head of celery, trimmed and finely chopped

2 cups risotto (Arborio) rice

2 wineglasses of dry vermouth or dry white wine

1. Heat the stock. Put the olive oil and butter into a separate pan, add the onion, garlic, celery, saffron, chili, and fennel (if you so choose…) and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes without coloring. When the veggies have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

2. The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring. Any harsh alcohol flavors will evaporate and leave a tasty essence.

3. Once the wine or vermouth has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and good pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring and massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around 15 minutes. When the rice is nearly cooked, add your fish and shellfish *note: I sauteed the squid and fish fillets slightly before I added them). Taste the rice to check if it’s cooked. If not, keep adding stock until the rice is soft, with a slight bite. Remove from the heat once the shellfish have opened or the shrimps are all pink. * If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, you can use boiling water.

4. This is SEAFOOD risotto - don’t add Parmesan, as tempting as it may be! Fish and cheese bad. Instead, add about 4 tablespoons of butter, check the seasoning, and drizzle a bit of olive oil as well as the lemon juice on the top. If you have any stock left over ( I didn’t) you can add a bit of that to the individual serving bowls.

Tags: Fish, Jamie Oliver, Risotto, seafood