Crawfish Risotto
Who doesn't love a creamy bowl of made from scratch risotto?! If you've never made risotto or maybe feel intimidated by the idea of standing over the stove for an hour then this is the recipe for you! It requires zero maintenance while cooking in the oven for 45 minutes. Let's get real, I work full-time and don't want to constantly babysit dinner by stirring it constantly. You all know I love nothing more than a FOOLPROOF recipe, and let me just say this will turn out perfect EVERY SINGLE TIME!
If you've never made risotto or maybe feel intimidated by the idea of standing over the stove for an hour then this is the recipe for you! It requires zero maintenance while cooking in the oven for 45 minutes.
Risotto is typically made by heating up chicken stock then adding a little bit of rice, then repeating that step times ten. Not this recipe, y'all! All you have to do is bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a simmer, stir in the rice, and then cover, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The last step is just to stir in all the remaining ingredients at the end! That's it, SO SIMPLE! I adopted this genius idea from the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten!
I grew up ordering crawfish pasta or crawfish étouffée anytime I would see it on the menu at a restaurant. I have to be honest though, I didn't cook with crawfish at home until we moved to Mississippi! I was always intimidated by the idea and assumed that I would have to spend too much time preparing it. That is until I found frozen crawfish tails (that are already peeled & everything) in the seafood section at my local grocery store. All I have to do is let the crawfish thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Done & done! Cannot wait for y'all to try this creamy, delicious recipe!
Crawfish Risotto
Yields 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
Risotto
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
5 cups simmering chicken stock
1/2 cup Chardonnay or a dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces frozen crawfish tails, thawed
Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
NOTES
Refrigerate and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.
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INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring 4 cups of the chicken stock to a simmer in a Le Creuset Dutch oven (reserve 1 cup for later).
Stir in all of the rice and immediately place the lid on.
Bake for exactly 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
Remove from oven and stir in 1 cup of the remaining chicken stock and Chardonnay using a wooden spoon.
Add the parmesan, mascarpone, lemon zest, creole seasoning, butter, salt, and pepper.
Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes. The rice should be thick and creamy.
Lastly, drain the thawed crawfish and fold it in using a spatula.
Serve and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and green onions.