Risotto alla
Pescatora
Seafood risotto in the Veneto coastal tradition
Risotto rice cooks in fish stock and strained shellfish juices, with mussels, clams, squid and shrimp added in stages.
Rice, mixed seafood & a few shells for servingRice and seafood juices,
a coastal Veneto connection.
Risotto alla pescatora is risotto with mixed seafood, with the selection varying by kitchen and catch. Hot fish stock and shellfish juices flavor the rice as it softens. The finished grains should retain a slight bite in a loose, creamy coating.
Seafood risotti have a documented place in Veneto cooking as well as other coastal regions. The home recipe uses Vialone Nano rice, a little tomato paste and a defined mix of mussels, clams, squid and shrimp. Separate shellfish steaming and staged cooking help keep the seafood tender. Butter finishes this version; it has no grated cheese or cream.
Explore by food: Fish & seafood · Rice & grains
Let’s make risotto alla pescatora.
Four first-course portions. Start with cleaned squid, peeled shrimp, scrubbed live mussels and purged live clams. Prepared fish stock is the starting broth.
Four first-course portions; mussels and clams are weighed shell-on.
What you’ll need
- 320 gVialone Nano risotto rice
- 500 glive mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 500 gpurged live clams
- 200 gcleaned squid, cut into 1 cm pieces
- 200 graw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 80 gshallots, finely chopped
- 1garlic clove, finely chopped
- 45 mlextra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 100 mldry white wine
- 15 gtomato paste
- 200 mlwater, for steaming shellfish, divided
- 1.2 lprepared low-salt fish stock
- 20 gcold unsalted butter
- 1 tbspchopped parsley
- to tastefine salt and black pepper
The schedule allows shellfish steaming, squid braising and rice cooking in sequence, with stock heating alongside. Larger squid can need longer before the rice starts. Shellfish cleaning, supplier-directed purging, thawing and making stock are separate preparations.
How to make it
- 01
Steam and strain shellfish
Discard cracked shellfish and any open ones. In a lidded pot, bring 100 ml water to a vigorous simmer. Steam mussels, covered, for 7–9 minutes until fully open and cooked through; discard closed ones. Repeat with clams and remaining 100 ml water for 7–9 minutes. Strain juices through a fine sieve lined with damp kitchen paper. Shell most of the seafood, keeping a few shells.
- 02
Cook the squid base
Heat 15 ml oil in a small pan. Soften garlic for 1 minute, add squid for 2 minutes, then stir in tomato paste and 100 ml fish stock. Cover and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes until squid is tender, adding more of the stock if drying.
- 03
Heat stock and toast rice
Taste strained shellfish juices. Add up to 150 ml to the remaining stock, using less if salty; keep at a bare simmer. In a wide pan, soften shallots in remaining 30 ml oil for 6 minutes. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes, then add wine and let it mostly evaporate.
- 04
Cook the rice in stages
Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and letting each addition mostly absorb before adding more. After 8 minutes add the cooked squid and all its sauce. After another 5 minutes add raw shrimp. Continue for 4–6 minutes, until rice is tender with a slight bite and shrimp is opaque throughout and at least 63°C/145°F.
- 05
Finish and rest
Fold in cooked mussels and clams and heat through for 1 minute. Take off heat and stir in butter, parsley and pepper. Rest for 2 minutes, then taste for salt and loosen with a little remaining stock so it spreads gently on the plate. Serve immediately.
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