Seafood Risotto Recipe [Customizable] - Celebration Generation (2024)

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It's been a long time since I've made seafood risotto.

The other day, the awful midwest heatwave finally broke ... and I was finally in the mood to cook again. Extreme heat just really does nothing for my desire to be in the kitchen!

My husband looked pretty ecstatic when I offered to make a seafood risotto for supper that night.

Not only was it the first time I'd cooked in a few days, but it was also the first time I'd made risotto since getting all kinds of risotto'ed out in Training for MasterChef last winter.

I'd made so much risotto back then - it was something I hadn't made before getting accepted for the show - that I was pretty sure I never wanted to make it again.

I’d gotten it in my head, through my research beforehand - that being able to make the perfect risotto was basically a requirement.

... never got the chance to make the creamy dish while outthere. LOL!

Anyway, here's what I whipped up: the best seafood risotto!

I used what we had on hand, but there is plenty of room to adapt this recipe to your own tastes, or what YOU have on hand.

Add some saffron, add some fresh or dried herbs of your choice, or add some clams or mussels... even crab. Yum!

This makes a fair amount of risotto, but it freezes pretty well - Porter loves to bring leftovers to work for lunches.

PS: It's taken me a few years of procrastination, but I've finally posted the recipe for one of our other favourite risottos: Creamy Mushroom Risotto!

Ingredients

This is a simple recipe - with simple ingredients - and you should be able to find everything in your favourite grocery store.

That said, it’s one of those cases where simplicity demands accuracy - you want to use the right ingredients to get the best result!

So, I have some notes for you

The Rice

I use 1 lb of Arborio Rice for this, as it’s easy to find and has the perfect consistency.

This is a medium-grain rice with a high starch content, which is what creates the creamy sauce during the cooking process.

Note: This works out to about 2 ⅓ cups Arborio rice

That said, Arborio is known to be more of a North American way to make risotto.

When it comes to actual Italian food, Carnaroli Rice is generally seen as the gold standard across most of Italy.

It’s known to produce the creamiest risottos, but Vialone Nano is another very popular option out there.

Any of these 3 rice types will make an excellent risotto - with a great creamy texture - so you can definitely use whichever makes the most sense or is easiest to come by, where you are.

The Stock

There are a few different types of stock you can use for this - fish stock, seafood stock, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or shrimp stock.

You can use store bought stock, homemade, or - as I tend to do - a quick, dressed-up store bought stock. (More on that in a second).

Your stock is where the bulk of the flavour comes from in your seafood risotto, so be sure to use something that is well seasoned and tastes really good!

Now, for my seafood stock, I like to flavor basic chicken broth just before making the risotto.

I’ll bring some standard chicken stock up to a simmer, and add shrimp shells, celery, some onion, etc and let it simmer.

I like to save little baggies of raw shrimp shells in the freezer for when I need to make some seafood stock.

The empty shells from this seafood risotto will eventually be used to make stock for another meal, usually this risotto, or some Jambalaya

The Wine

I like to use a dry white wine, usually a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

It’s important to use a wine that you actually like the flavour of and would drink, NOT a cooking wine.

Cooking wine is very low quality and full of salt - it will ruin this dish.

Don’t want to use wine at all? Just use the same amount of extra stock.

The Fresh Seafood

As a basic recipe, I just call for bay scallops and shrimp, as they’re easy to find and tend to be relatively affordable.

That said, you can definitely use other types of seafood in this.

Feeling bougie, or celebrating a special occasion? Substitute sea scallops for bay scallops, or add some crab meat or chunks of lobster tail.

It’s all good.

A few key things to remember:

1. Thaw, drain, and - if necessary - blot all seafood with a paper towel before adding it to the risotto.

2. If you’re using cooked seafood, add it to the risotto when it’s basically done, and heat just long enough to warm it through - you don’t want to overcook seafood!

3. If you’re using different types of seafood and they are wildly different in size, add them in stages.

Anything that’s big or will take longer to cook can and should go in earlier than smaller items that will cook faster.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Parmesan cheese
1 Medium onion
Fresh parsley (or green onions)
Unsalted butter (Can use extra virgin olive oil)
Garlic cloves
Lemon zest
Salt & Pepper

... I just don’t have anything really significant to say about any of these!

How to Make Seafood Risotto

Full recipe follows, but here’s a pictorial overview, with extra info added.

Get Ready

I like to have all of the ingredients prepped before I actually get started cooking. I situate everything within an arm’s reach - and in the order of use - so it’s good to go when I need it.

What that looks like is:

Onion: Finely chop it.

Garlic: Peel and mince or press it

Butter, Rice, Wine: Measured and at hand.

Stock: Seasoned and brought up to a low simmer over medium low heat, in a medium saucepan.

Lemon: Zested

Seafood: Thawed and shrimps peeled, waiting in a large bowl.

Parmesan: Grated

Parsley: Finely chopped.

Start Cooking the Risotto!

In a large pan (large skillet, large saucepan, large pot, or large saute pan) over medium-high heat, sweat onions in the 2 tablespoon butter until translucent - should be a couple of minutes.

Add scallops and shrimp along with one final scoop of simmering broth mixture. Stir gently until seafood is cooked through.

Note: Depending on the type and size of your seafood, this cooking time could be anywhere between 2-3 minutes (small shrimp), to 8-10 minutes (Jumbo shrimp).

Remove from heat.

Stir in Parmesan cheese and parsley, just until well incorporated and smooth.

Leftovers

Leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.

We generally reheat it in the microwave, covered.

If it’s too solid after chilling, add a bit of chicken or seafood stock and stir it in.

More Fish & Seafood Recipes

Fan of fish and seafood recipes? Here are a few more for you!

Ahi Tuna Crudo
Almond Crusted Halibut with Lemon Dill Sauce
Cashew Crusted Halibut with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Crab Rangoon Pizza
Jambalaya
Gluten Free Fish & Chips
Marie's Low Country Boil
Pepper Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Cream Sauce
Phyllo Crab Triangles
Salmon Crudo
Seafood Mousse
Smoked Salmon Pizza
Tuna Mango Poke

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and/or a comment below, and maybe even sharing this post on social media!

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