Saffron, fava bean and shrimp risotto

Spring Risotto with Shrimp, Fava Beans,
and Garlic Chips

Boil a small amount of water in one of the pots, with the steamer. Pop the fava beans out of their pods and steam them for 2 minutes. Rinse them under cold water, and then peel the now-loose skins off the fava beans. Put the saffron in the warm water to soak.

Shell the shrimp, and add the shrimp shells to the stock in the smaller pot and heat it. Peel the garlic cloves without crushing them, and slice them thin, removing any center sprout.

Add 1 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter to the large pot. Heat until butter is foaming; add the onions and fry, stirring, until they turn transparent. Add the rice and continue to fry, stirring frequently, until the rice is coated and hot. Pour in the wine and stir until the wine boils mostly away. Add the saffron and its water.

Begin ladling the stock into the rice (straining out the shrimp shells), and stirring it, about ¾ cup at a time. Make sure most of the stock is absorbed before adding the next ladle. After around 4 or 5 ladles-full, add the fava beans to the rice. Stop when the rice is mostly cooked, with a tiny hard center. Turn off heat, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in the frying pan. Fry the garlic slices over medium heat, stirring and turning them over, until they turn golden brown. Remove the garlic chips from the pan, leaving the oil in it.

Fry the shrimp in this oil until it is just cooked, being careful not to overcook them. Season lightly with salt & pepper.

For each diner, spoon some rice into their bowl or plate, garnish with a ring of 3-5 shrimp, and several garlic chips in the center. Optionally sprinkle with parsley or basil.

Notes: this same recipe can be even more decadent by using lobster, crab or crawfish.