Homemade Shrimp Risotto! Have you ever made risotto before? Because up until very recently it was something I thought I’d never make again. There may have been an incident sometime in the past five years when I thought huh, this can’t be that hard! I channeled my inner Ina and set to work. I went in blind… on risotto. Let that sink in for a second. [face palm] What was I even thinking? No recipes, no clue what I was doing with just a mental taste of the risotto we enjoyed on our honeymoon as my guide. And well, I’m sure you can guess how it turned out. Crunchy rice, husband had to save the day by ordering a pizza while I cursed under my breath and seriously contemplated burning the pan as that would require far less effort than to clean it. But risotto doesn’t have to be that way! It can be a breeze to make if you follow a recipe, stay by the stove and exercise just the tiniest bit of patience. To put it simply, do the complete opposite of everything I did, and you’ll be just fine! Today’s parmesan shrimp risotto is loosely based on the one we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Cancun, six years ago. We went to an all-inclusive resort for five days and spent most of the time eating or dreaming about this shrimp risotto that they brought to you poolside – seriously. If that isn’t the way to my heart, I don’t know what is! That first bite is perfection. Notes of onions and garlic wrapped around tender, sweet shrimp and creamy rice loaded with more than a generous mound of parmesan. This is my food language.
What you need to make Homemade Mushroom Parmesan Shrimp Risotto:
I’ve got a super important question for you. Do you play on team ‘shroom? Because if you do, you’re going to love what they do here because we’re sauteing them in olive oil until they’re golden and then we’ll introduce them to the risotto at the end and let them hang out in that garlic and onion scented creamy rice right before we serve big bowls of this stuff. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, feel free to double up on the shrimp and omit them entirely! Other than the shrimp and mushroom, you’ll need a few key ingredients.
Parmesan cheese (get the good stuff from the deli section.. not the stuff that’s shelf-stable, please and thank you)Onions, chopped up finelyGarlic, as much or as little as you like!Butter (just a couple tablespoons)Arborio rice (not basmati or jasmine)Homemade or store-bought stock
More on arborio rice: arborio rice is plump, short to medium grain, with a high starch content. This is what makes it the perfect rice to use when you’re making risotto. Ideally, you want to use rice that has a higher starch content because that’s what gives risotto that ultra creamy texture that it’s known for. This reminds me, when you’re making risotto, don’t rinse your rice! <– This. Other than risotto, I almost always rinse, but not here. Don’t do it! More on the stock: I like to make my own stock for shrimp risotto. Every time I buy a pound of shrimp, I’ll remove the shells and pop them into a zip-top bag and store it in the freezer until I have enough to may stock. For the stock, I use the peels from two pounds of shrimp, a few sprigs of parsley, black peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, and sometimes I’ll add a bouillion cube in there to give it a little more flavor!
Other tips to make the best shrimp risotto:
Always prep everything ahead of time! The French call this mise en place and I call it a necessity for recipes like this one and my homemade gumbo. It’s so important to have everything prepped, measured, and ready to go. Trying to chop the parsley while the rice is soaking up the broth isn’t going to be a great idea here!Be patient and enjoy the task. The broth is going to take its own sweet time, better to accept that it’s the boss and let it do its thing!Finish your risotto with a knob of good butter. I can’t tell how big of a difference it is when you finish a risotto with butter! Not only does it add a little more luster to the whole thing. The butter also makes that texture so much more rich and delicious!Set a timer. I like to set a timer for 20 minutes right when I start adding the stock. This helps me keep an eye on how long it’s been without having to think about it.Put on some good music, pour yourself a glass, grab a wooden spoon and stay by the stove!
And there is it! Something different to put together for dinner tonight or over the weekend. This homemade mushroom parmesan shrimp risotto was a home run for us, and I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂
If you like this shrimp risotto recipe, you might also like:
Weeknight Instant Pot RisottoGarlicky Orzo Shrimp Scampi with AsparagusOne Pot Creamy Mushroom PastaDeliciously Easy Cacio E Pepe (and just 3 ingredients!)
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Homemade stock: Combine the peels of 2 lbs. of shrimp, 8 cups water, 1 chicken bouillon cube (or the equivalent of better than bouillon in teaspoons) a few sprigs of parsley, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 cloves garlic along with a big pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Allow the stock to come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the stock through a strainer and place back in the saucepan over low heat.
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