This recipe is for a delicious and flavorful Asparagus & Langoustine Risotto. It is made with fresh and healthy ingredients, it does require some preparation and time to cook, but many of the steps can be prepared in advance. This risotto is great to serve in a smaller version as an appetizer or primo or in a larger version and have as a main course.
To be honest risotto isn’t my first choice or something that I eat or usually order at restaurants. I do love a good risotto, but a lot of times they’re too heavy for my taste or I get disappointed because they’re over cooked or too dry. So If I’m going to order risotto I have to know it’s good. But a few times a year I make risotto at home, and it usually is some type of seafood risotto. Seafood risotto is light an fresh enough for me but still has that creamy and warming feeling to it. This recipe is for a Asparagus & Langoustine Risotto that is creamy, flavorful and super delicious, while still feeling fresh and light and not at all overwhelming. It contains shrimps and langoustine in the risotto itself, along with quickly cooked asparagus, dry white wine, lemon and some parmesan cheese. It is then served with quickly fried langoustine, asparagus and lemon zest on top. This dish is really divine and creamy yet still having that al dente rice. It has a lovely texture where creamy risotto meets crunchy asparagus and tender and soft shrimps and langoustines. Make this dish as a starter or primo or serve it as a main course.
A few tips:
- I prefer to cook my own seafood stock instead of using store bought. It is really easy to make and a perfect way of using up those shrimp and langoustine shells.
- The stock can be prepared in advance, already the day before. Just store the shrimps and langoustine in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you have seafood stock left after cooking your risotto you can freeze it and store for later. I love cooking a big batch and then diving it into portion sizes that can be thawn quickly when you need seafood stock for your cooking.
- You can however also use storebought stock if you don’t have the time to cook your own stock.
- The asparagus should only boil quickly for a few minutes. It should get slightly softened but still be crunchy on the inside. It will continue to cook later on when you add it to the risotto.
- Save the tops of the asparagus for serving.
- I used fresh and unpeeled shrimps and langoustine for my risotto, since I find they taste better than the already peeled ones. If you can’t find fresh unpeeled shrimps or langoustines you can replace them with frozen or packaged ones.
- Use a dry white wine for the risotto, since sweet wine will affect the taste in a less pleasant way.
- Add a little bit of stock at a time as you cook the risotto to make sure you don’t overcook the rice. The rice should be soft but still slightly al dente for the best result.
- Also make sure your risotto doesn’t turn out too dry. It should spread out slightly when you place it on your plate. It should not spread out all over but also not stick together as a dry pile of rice.
- The amount of parmesan cheese can be adjusted according to taste.
Ingredients for this Asparagus & Langoustine Risotto:
- Seafood shells
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Leek
- Carrot
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Dry white wine
- Bay leaves
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- Avorio rice
- Shallots
- Lemon
- Black pepper
- Sea salt
- Parmesan cheese
- Asparagus
- Shrimps
- Langoustines
Other recipes you might like:
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- Mango Ceviche with Mixed Fish & Seafood (Gluten, Grain, Oil Free & Low Carb)
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Asparagus & Seafood Risotto (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the seafood stock
- 1 kg Seafood shells
- 2 Yellow onion roughly chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 Leek sliced
- 1 Carrot sliced
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 liters Water
- 1/2 (1/4) dl (cups) Dry white wine
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 stalk Fresh thyme
- Olive oil, to fry
For the risotto
- 4 (1 3/4) dl (cups) Avorio rice
- 2 Shallots finely chopped
- 3-4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 (1) dl (cup) Dry white wine
- 3/4-1 liter Seafood stock
- 1 Lemon zested
- 1 Lemon juiced
- Black pepper, to taste
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 – 1 1/2 (1/2-3/4) dl (cups) Parmesan cheese grated
- 200 g Asparagus
- 200 g Shrimps (weight without shells)
- 18-20 Langoustines (12 to top and 6-8 to use in the risotto)
Instructions
- Peel shrimps and langoustines. Place the peeled seafood in the fridge and save for later.
- Heat a big pot on medium heat with some olive oil.
- Add the yellow onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to turn translucent. Add the garlic, leek and carrot and stir together and fry for 1-2 minutes more.
- Next add the tomato paste, stir everything together and let it fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the water, white wine, bay leaf and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, until reduced. Place a fine meshed stainer over a bowl and pour the seafood stock through the strainger. (This part can be prepared in advance)
- Bring water and salt to a boil in a pot. Add the asparagus and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. The asparagus should just turn slightly soft but still be crunchy on the inside. Drain the asparagus and place in a bowl of ice cold water. (This step can be prepared in advance)
- When ready to cook preheat a big pan over medium heat with some olive oil.
- Remove the seafood from the fridge and let it come into room temperature.
- Drain the asparagus and cut into smaller pieces. Save the tops for serving.
- Add the shallot and fry for 2-3 minutes, just until it starts to turn golden brown. Add the garlic, stir together and fry for another 1-2 minutes.
- Next add the avorio rice, stir together with the onions and let it fry for 3-4 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown.
- Add the dry white wine to the pan and let it deglaze it. Stir together with the rice. Let it simmer until almost evaporated.
- Add about 2 dl (1 cup) seafood stock along with the lemon juice, stir together and let the risotto simmer on low heat. Stir regularly/constantly. Add a little bit more seafood stock at a time (1/2-3/4 dl at a time), as needed. Cook for about 15 minutes.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese, stir together.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes in total. Add the shrimps, langoustines and cut asparagus to the risotto and stir together, turn off the heat.The risotto should be creamy but the rice should still be al dente.
- Meanwhile the risotto cooks preheat a pan over medium/high heat with some olive oil.
- Fry the remaining langoustines in the hot pan for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Divide the risotto between plates. Top with fried langoustines, asparagus tops and grate lemon zest over the dish. Serve immediately.