Baked Seafood and Saffron Risotto
A wholesome baked risotto recipe from Gizzi Erskine. This scrumptious seafood recipe with hints of saffron and white wine is perfect for easy entertaining.
From the book
Introduction
I was dubious when someone told me you could bake a risotto, thinking it wouldn’t have its usual creaminess or become overcooked and lose its bite, but on experimenting I discovered otherwise, which is great for those days when you don’t have the energy for all that stirring! This risotto makes a perfect dinner-party dish, and because you don’t need to stand over it all the time, you also get to spend time with your guests.
Ingredients
3 tbsp | olive oil |
1 | onion, peeled and finely chopped |
1 x 80g | whole semi-dried or fresh chorizo sausage, chopped |
3 | garlic cloves, peeled and chopped |
250g | risotto rice |
250ml | white wine |
600ml | fish, chicken or vegetable stock |
1 | pinch of saffron |
1 | large pinch of smoked paprika |
8 | raw king prawns, peeled |
8 | mussels or clams |
1 | medium squid, cleaned and cut into pieces (with or without tentacles) |
150g | monkfish, trimmed and cut into cubes |
1 | small bunch of fresh, flat-leaf parsley, chopped |
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large casserole dish and bung in the onions and chorizo. Sauté over a lowish heat for about 8 minutes, or until the onion has softened and turned slightly golden and the chorizo has released all its oil and coloured slightly. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
Stir in the rice and fry for a minute, then pour over the wine and stock and sprinkle in the saffron and paprika. Pop a lid on the casserole and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven — the rice should by now have absorbed most of the liquid but will still be a little soupy. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/gas 6. In a bowl, toss the prawns, shellfish, squid and monkfish in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then give the risotto a good stir and place the seafood on top. Pop the casserole back into the oven without the lid, and bake for a further 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Give it one final stir and it’s ready to serve.