Shellfish Risotto

Photo: flickr user VirtualErn

Ingredients

1 kg Mussels, cleaned

200 mls Dry white wine

600 mls Fish stock, (home-made or from a carton)

3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

750 grams Chilled unsalted butter, diced 1 onion, finely c

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 2 1/2 cm pie fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 Red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

350 grams Arborio rice or other rice suitable for 1 pch Saffron stamens, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water

225 grams Squid, cleaned and sliced

225 grams Uncooked peeled tiger or Dublin Bay prawns

2 Plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons Chopped fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place the mussels in a pan with 50ml/2fl oz of the wine. Cover tightly and cook over a high heat for a few minutes, shaking occasionally, until they have opened - discard any that do not. Strain through a sieve. Remove the meat from mussels and reserve. Place the stock in a pan and pour in the cooking liquor, leaving behind any grit - you should have 300ml/half pint in total. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil and 25g/1oz of the butter in a saute pan.

Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes until nutty and perfumed. Add the remaining wine and allow to bubble away, stirring. Add a ladleful of the stock and cook gently, stirring, until absorbed.

Continue to add stock in this way, adding the saffron mixture after about 10 minutes - the whole process takes 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender but 'al dente'. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a wok. Add the squid and prawns and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, herbs and reserved mussel meat, toss together and remove from the heat. About 2 minutes before the risotto is cooked fold in the shellfish mixture and then fold in the remaining butter, stirring until emulsified. Serve at once.