Years ago when I worked at the Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco, the executive chef there, Jan Birnbaum, developed a recipe for crab cakes with a sweet corn relish and yellow pepper vinaigrette. I asked Jan how he managed that since crab season is in winter and corn is a summer vegetable. He smiled and said, “We live in California. We can get corn year round”. ‘Nuff said! This recipe for shrimp and corn risotto is inspired by Jan’s crab cakes insofar as that’s where I got the idea to combine seafood and corn.
Jan gave me his crab cake recipe and I served it each December 31st with a glass of bubbly to celebrate the New Year. I’ve since pared it down to just the crab cakes with a lemon aioli as an appetizer preceding a paella main course which has become a New Year’s tradition in our house — along with the bubbly, of course!
I had planned to keep these head notes (relatively) short but who am I kidding? For someone who’s motto is, “Never use one word where 10 will do”, that’s a tall order! I wrote a more in depth post on the risotto process and If you are interested you can check it out here https://tea-and-biscuits.net/2014/07/08/risotto/. For this particular risotto there are still some things we need to discuss before we get started, to help you better understand the why’s and wherefore’s of what we are doing. So, here goes…
For the stock
Chicken stock is by no means the only liquid used in making risotto but it is probably the most common. For this recipe we’re going to make a quick stock from shrimp shells and a corn cob. We’ll supplement it with enough chicken stock to make up the volume we need.
For this we’ll need uncooked, shell on shrimp. You can certainly use shelled shrimp if that’s all that is available to you and your risotto will still be delicious. The shells, packed with flavor, add a bit more nuanced complexity to the dish. Oh, and by the way, it doesn’t matter too much what size the shrimp are but, if they are very big you may want to cut them in two pieces to make eating them easier. You don’t want to be using a knife to eat a bowl of risotto.
As well as shrimp shells we’re going to use the corn cob from which you have cut the kernels which will add a subtle sweet corn flavor. I have seen lots of demos on how to cut the kernels from a corn cob – some really elaborate affairs involving bowls within bowls, all in an effort to keep the kernels from flying all over the counter. I prefer to lay the cob down on the counter and use my chef’s knife to cut off a row of kernels along its length, taking care not to cut too deep so as to cut out the root of the kernel. I then roll the cob on to the flat cut side and slice off another row. Two more times rolling the cob and slicing off kernels until you are left with a square cob. Now I stand the cob on its end and slice down to cut off the ‘corner’ kernels. Not totally mess free but almost. Of course, you can buy a gadget to cut the kernels from a corn cob but I personally don’t use those. Just another single use tool to keep in the drawer and clean after each use.
And so, what if you can’t get fresh corn on the cob? You can use frozen corn, thoroughly defrosted and patted as dry as you can get it with paper kitchen towels. You are going to be sautéing the corn and you don’t want any water causing excessive splattering. I do not recommend using canned corn – the taste and texture do not work at all here.
If it happens you end up using only shelled shrimp and frozen corn you won’t have anything with which to make your stock. That’s OK, just use all chicken stock. You will still get a great tasting risotto but with a slightly different flavor profile.
Saffron
I like to add a pinch of saffron to my shrimp and corn risotto. Totally optional but it does give the risotto a beautiful golden hue and an added layer of flavor. You can get the same coloring with a teaspoon of turmeric but not the flavor.
Risotto as a process
I addressed this issue in my post discussing risotto but it bears repeating here. I think of risotto more as a process than a recipe. Once you understand the process you can adapt it to suit whatever flavor profile you want. Except for the rice and liquid, I don’t measure the ingredients. My experience lets me know when ‘about that much’ is enough. For less experienced cooks or for those new to risotto that’s not going to work so, out of necessity I have quantified the ingredients. Except, in this case…
I haven’t given specific quantities for salt and chicken stock. The amount of salt you need will depend on how much shrimp/corn stock you end up with and the chicken stock you use to supplement it. If you are using home made or a low sodium store bought stock you may need 1 to 1.5 Tsp of salt. If your store bought stock is particularly salty you will need to add less salt or none at all. Taste it and judge for yourself, keeping in mind the old adage, “You can add more but you can’t take it out”. Your stock is what is going to season the rice so make sure it is adequately salted.
All that being said, risotto is very forgiving and there is no need to be too precious about quantities. So cut yourself some slack, relax and enjoy the process.
Do ahead options
To make your life a bit easier you can get some of the steps done an our or two ahead of time. For example:
– You can shell, devein and marinate the shrimp.
– Likewise you can make the shrimp and corn broth and have that ready to warm up when you start cooking.
– So long as you are in Do Ahead mode, might as well sauté the corn too.
-If you complete your mise-en-place by measuring and prepping the remaining ingredients you will be all set to go when it comes time to cook your risotto.
Perp times
Recipe authors often put unrealistic prep times in their recipes. Or perhaps it’s more correct to say the prep times do not come with what is, in my opinion, an important caveat. That being, the time it takes to prepare all the ingredients will vary depending on the cook’s skill and confidence levels. Also, if you’ve made a recipe a hundred times before your prep time will be much quicker than when you make it for the first time. The 30 minute prep time I give in the recipe is how long it took me but it may take you a little longer. Keep this in mind when you are planning what time to eat. Another reason perhaps, to take advantage of some of the do ahead options until you get a sense of how long it takes you to prep.
Shrimp and Corn Risotto with Saffron
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the corn cob into 3 pieces. Place the pieces, the shrimp shells, onion and bay leaf in a medium pot. Add enough water to cover the cob and shells. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- After simmering for 15-20 minutes, strain the stock into a large liquid measuring jug and discard the solids. Add enough chicken stock to make 5 cups (1.2 L). Taste the stock and add salt as needed. See note below.
- While the stock simmers, place the shrimp in a medium bowl and toss with 1/2 Tsp of salt. Pour in 1 TBS (15ml) of the olive oil. Stir to mix and refrigerate until ready to use. See note below.
- Over medium high heat add 1 TBS (15ml) olive oil to a 10" (26cm) nonstick skillet and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the corn kernels and sauté until the corn begins to get golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes The corn may pop and splatter a bit so watch for that. Transfer the corn to a plate and set aside. Do not clean the skillet; you will use it to sauté the shrimp later on.
- Pour the seasoned stock into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to low so the stock is just barely simmering.
- Gather the remaining olive oil, onion, garlic, rice, white wine and optional saffron or turmeric.
- In a 4-6qt (4-6L) pot heat the remaining 3 TBS (45ml) of olive oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes until they are softened and translucent. Try not to get any color on the onions.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds more.
- Next, add the rice and stir continuously for 1-2 minutes. It will begin to feel heavy like wet sand and it will click against the side of the pot.
- When you see the edges of the rice turn translucent, add the wine (and optional saffron or turmeric.) Stir the rice until the wine is almost completely evaporated, about 30-60 seconds.
- Begin adding the stock: Add about a cup (240ml) of the hot stock and stir the rice gently and continuously until the stock is almost completely absorbed by the rice and the pot is nearly dry. When you add the stock to the rice it should boil gently, not violently. Adjust the heat accordingly.
- Add the reserved corn to the pot along with 1/2 cup (120ml) of the stock. Continue adding the stock by half cupfuls, stirring continuously after each addition until the pot is almost dry before adding the next ladle.
- It should take about 18-20 minutes from when you first add the stock to completely cook the rice. At the 15 minute mark taste a grain of rice. It will be underdone but it will give you a clue as to how much more time and stock it needs.
- After the last addition of stock, stir it in then cover the pot and shut off the fire.
- Heat the skillet you used for the corn over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2-3 minutes, tossing the shrimp to cook on both sides. When the shrimp curl up and begin to turn pink, transfer them to the risotto and stir them in. Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes The shrimp will finish cooking in the hot rice.
- Finally, stir in the butter and parmesan cheese before serving in warmed bowls.
