Risotto with stracciatella cheese, shrimps' tartare and zucchini flowers

• 20 minutes to prepare • 30 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

As colorful as it gets

I am a risotto fan. It is well-documented on this blog. I find making risotto relaxing, meditative. I appear to be in the minority, as the food community, and the Internet at large, want to color risotto as something hard to get right. This is definitely not how I feel about it.
I think if you have the time to dedicate to making risotto, it can be a blissful experience. If, however, you’re trying to turn it into a speedy weeknight meal, then yes, you’re going to hate the process. Don’t set yourself up for that. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some music, and stare into a vortex of creamy rice. Trust me, your mind will wander to some surprising and pleasant places.

To make this creamy risotto we’re going to start, appropriately enough, with the zucchini flowers and shrimps. Risotto is all about building layers of flavor in the pan. So we’re going to clean both of them carefully. Then, let the shrimps to marinate in EVO oil for as long as you can.

 
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to stir risotto constantly. You can add a few ladles-worth of stock and leave it to simmer with the rice while you rifle through your music library for a proper risotto soundtrack. The risotto does require supervision. You just don’t have to make maneuvering a spoon around the circumference of a pot over and over again your life’s sole purpose. You can take a break, but do not forget to add zucchini flowers, after a while 

Once your rice is rich, creamy, and a little al dente, you’re going to finish it with stracciatella cheese because you’re worth it. And finally, we’re going to top the shrimps' tartare.
And that’s really it. A little patience and minimal elbow grease are all that is required to make this recipe. See? Risotto isn’t so scary. It does take some time to cook but think of it as aromatherapy you eventually get to eat. I mean, just that thought makes me feel less tense. Enjoy!


Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe: 

320 g Carnaroli rice

10 zucchini flowers

100 g burrata cheese

100 g shrimps' tartare

EVO oil

1 l fish broth

EVO oil

salt and pepper

1. Wash, clean, chop zucchini flowers and keep aside
2. Clean shrimps and chop them to prepare a tartare. Add EVO oil and salt and let them marinate
3. Pour the rice into the pan and let it toast for 1 minute
4. Cook the rice, adding a spoonful of boiling broth at a time, as for a normal risotto, (please refer to the cooking time indicated on the rice package)
5. After 10 minutes, add the zucchini flowers, chopped
6. A few moments before the rice is done, add the stracciatella cheese, freshly ground pepper. Stir to mix and top with shrimps' tartare. Serve immediately!

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.