Baked Prawn Risotto With Thai Flavours Food

BAKED PRAWN RISOTTO WITH THAI FLAVOURS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350°F Pour the stock into a saucepan and add the lemon grass and half the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for ten minutes.
• Heat the oil in an oven proof casserole dish and add the onion cooking until soft but not coloured. Add the curry paste and cook for another minute. Add the rice and stir until coated. Strain the stock into the rice and add the coconut cream. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, stir well and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Add the prawns and if dry add another 1/2 cup of stock or water. Bake for another 15 minutes until the prawns are cooked and the rice tender.
• Serve with remaining kaffir lime on top.

BAKED CHICKEN RISOTTO WITH THAI FLAVOURS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350°F Pour the stock into a saucepan and add the lemon grass and half the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for ten minutes.
• Heat the oil in an oven proof casserole dish and add the onion cooking until soft but not coloured. Add the curry paste and cook for another minute. Add the rice and stir until coated. Strain the stock into the rice and add the coconut cream. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, stir well and add the chicken. If dry add another 1/2 cup of stock or water. Bake for another 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the rice tender.
• Serve with remaining kaffir lime on top.

PRAWN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring 1litre/13⁄4pints water to the boil in a large pan, add 1 tbsp salt, then tip in the prawns, garlic and bay and return to the boil for 3-5 minutes until cooked, depending on the size of the prawns. Cool then shell the prawns. If they are large, you may wish to slice them, but leave smaller ones whole. Return the heads and shells to the stock and continue to boil for 20 minutes.
• Put a medium size, heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid on a low heat. Tip in the olive oil and 25g/1oz of the butter, and cook the shallots or onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add 1 tbsp of stock to stop them colouring, if necessary.
• Stir in the rice so it absorbs all the buttery oil. When it is opaque and rustling as you stir, pour in all the wine. Keep stirring while the rice absorbs the wine - it should not evaporate into the air, so keep the heat low.
• Meanwhile, strain the stock, return to the pan, top up with water and turn up the heat. Turn up the heat under the rice, too, as you need a moderate to lively heat. Stir the rice and add stock as needed to keep a veil of water above the level of rice for 10 minutes.
• Add the prawns and tomato purée. From this point on I start to add less and less stock every time, to avoid the risk of forcing the rice to absorb too much stock. Start to taste the odd grain of rice. You want to stop cooking when it still has a tiny crunchy uncooked bit in the centre.
• Season the risotto with salt and white pepper. Take the pan off the heat, add the remaining butter and enough stock to cover the risotto by about 2.5-5cm/1-2in, you have to judge how much it will absorb. Stir well, cover and leave it to rest for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve at once.

PRAWN (SHRIMP) RISOTTO WITH SAFFRON AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan. Add the onion, garlic and chilli and heat until golden.
• Meanwhile, shell all the prawns but one per person, discarding the shells but retaining the heads.
• Add the rice to the onion and stir until well covered with oil.
• Reduce the heat and add saffron and white wine to the rice, stirring until the wine is mostly absorbed.
• Add the prawn heads to the mix and ladle in the fish stock, about 100ml at a time, waiting until it is absorbed by the rice before adding another ladle.
• When the rice is almost done (it should be a soft, creamy consistency), add the fish meat, two whole prawns and basil.
• Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the prawns are *just* done - don't overcook or they will turn rubbery.
• Season with salt and pepper - remove the heads if you wish.
• Just before serving, add the butter and stir in well.
• Serve garnished with a whole prawn.