Shrimp and Clam Risotto with Thyme butter

I love making risotto. It's time consuming, yes.  Also can be quite fussy. It's easy to over or under cook, and when seasoning I find it's never salty enough until suddenly it's way too salty. I think of Gordon Ramsay doing his "angry chef" bit, yelling at some hapless hopeful on many a cooking reality show - "THIS IS INEDIBLE! YOU'RE USELESS! DO IT OVER!". So it could be the challenge, or the fact that it is so creamy and decadent when you hit it right.

I was going to make a shrimp risotto from Martha Stewart, but she calls for a pressure cooker which I don't have. I started looking for variations, and saw one recipe that called for clam juice with the shrimp. Well why not add clams as well I thought. I started by cooking them almost through with the can of clams and fresh thyme.

Shrimp. clams, and thyme

I've seen a few recipes with tarragon, but SO can't eat/doesn't like tarragon so thought I'd try basil and thyme. I cooked the shrimp with thyme, and also made a little herb butter with more thyme and a fair bit of basil. The butter was added at the end to the dish, and also a little pat as garnish.

Shrimp and Clam Risotto with thyme butter

Other than that, it's a pretty standard mushroom risotto with less mushrooms and lots of shrimp and clams. Even though this was shaping up to be a seafood risotto, I can't help but put mushrooms in. Mushrooms and risotto is kind of like pork and apple sauce, or orange and chocolate. The pairing is just too good.

Next Time: maybe try different seafood combinations, maybe different herbs

Me: 9/10
SO: 9.5/10
SSO: 3/10

Shrimp and Clam Risotto with Thyme butter
Enough for a 4 as a main, or 8 as a side
Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
• 1 jar clam juice, or around 1 cup (plus juice from can of clams)
• 3 cups chicken or other stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined
• 1 can of clams, drained but reserve the juice for the stock
• fresh basil and thyme leaves
• 3 Tb softened butter, plus more for cooking (or oil for cooking if you prefer)
• 3 or 4 Tb parmesan
• salt & pepper

Method

1. Heat the stock, clam juice and reserve clam juice in a small pot. Keep it at a simmer, we'll be ladling this into the rice later. If this turns out to not be enough later, use additional hot water. Incidentally, I find this epicure "multi-purpose pot" the perfect thing for this. You can pour from it instead of using a ladle. No, I don't sell or work for Epicure. I have a pushy friend who sells stuff though. :)
2. Mix the softened butter with chopped herbs.
3. Cook the shrimp and the drained clams in some butter, sprinkle with some chopped thyme leave and some ground pepper. Cook just barely through, then remove to a bowl.
4. In a clean pot, cook the onion and mushrooms on a medium heat until softened. Add the rice, and coat well. Cook until the rice starts to become translucent.
5. Add the wine, and cook for a minute or two. Then, start ladling or pouring the stock a bit at a time. Stir constantly until absorbed, then add more. Continue until most of the stock is gone, or the rice is cooked but still has a tiny bit of bite. Season with salt & pepper, tasting to make sure. This whole process will take at least 15 minutes, or as much as 25 if you are slow. Good things can't be rushed.
6. When done, turn the heat off or way down. Add the shrimp mixture, parmesan, and some of the herb butter. Serve with a small dollop of herb butter.