Shrimp Risotto with Fennel and Shallots

I’ve been shopping at La Tapatia in Des Moines for years, and almost every time I go there, I walk by the butcher counter, which runs almost the whole length of the back wall, and check out what kinds of things they have that you can’t easily get anywhere else. It’s a great place for things like oxtail, lots of cuts of beef, chicken feet, and chicherones, but what I’ve wanted to buy for a long time is a pile of the camarons con cabeza, or shrimp with heads on. I didn’t know just what I’d make when I bought them, but as I drove home and brainstormed about recipes, I decided I’d make a risotto, and use a shrimp stock made from the heads and shells. I hadn’t made a stock like this in years (and then mainly in restaurants), so I was looking forward to what I could put together. The finished stock made me smile when I tasted it; it was so good. And it made a pretty amazing risotto.

one fennel bulb, diced
4 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup champagne (or equivalent; see below)
1 tablespoon ouzo (or equivalent; see below)
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 bottle clam juice
4 small tomatoes, chopped roughly
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 lb arborio rice

olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

Shrimp stock: Peel the shrimp, removing the heads and cleaning the vein out of the back. For garnish I left a few shrimp whole, with the shells and heads intact, but slit the back of the shell to devein. Wash the shrimp, and put them in a bowl with some olive oil and 1 clove of the minced garlic, season with some salt and pepper, and reserve, storing over a bowl of ice (always keep seafood on ice when possible).  Get 2 qt sauce pan, and put on high flame. Add 1/4 stick of  butter, and half of the fennel and shallots, season with salt and white pepper, sauté until almost translucent, and then add shrimp heads and shells, and sauté until they turn bright red. Deglaze pan with half the champagne (or any good white wine), simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add tablespoon ouzo (or pernod, or any anise-flavored spirit), let the alcohol cook out, then add about a quart of water, bouillon cubes, clam juice, tomatoes, and simmer until reduced to about a quart of liquid. Use a fine strainer, and push as much of the liquid that you can out of the shrimp heads and shells into a saucepan. The more of the shrimp you can get, the richer the stock. When I tasted the batch I made with the La Tapatia shrimp, I kind of started laughing, it was so good.  Put the stock on a back burner, and keep it lightly simmering while you get the risotto started.

For the risotto, get a saute pan hot, and add 1/4 stick of the butter, and the rest of the diced shallots and fennel. Saute for a minute or so, and then add the risotto, and, continually stir while sauteing until some grains are browned; deglaze the pan with other half of champaign or white wine,  cook out alcohol, then start adding the simmering stock to the risotto, about a cup at a time at first, then decrease to about a 1/4 cup. It’s true what they say about stirring risotto, and you need to stand right there (or enlist someone to do it) and keep moving the risotto in the pan. The trick is to think of cooking each grain of rice equally. It takes a while, 25-35 minutes (this can depend on the type of arborio rice; it’s always a good idea to follow the recipe on the package, and adjust this recipe accordingly). Once the risotto is cooked through, add the last 1/4 stick of butter, and a handful of good grated parmesan cheese.

When the risotto is almost done, grill the peeled and deveined shrimp on a very hot grill. I used a vegetable grill pan with sides, and basically stir-fried the shrimp until just done.

To serve, pour the risotto out in a large shallow platter, and mound the grilled shrimp on top. For garnish, I left six shrimp with shells and heads on, and cut through the back of the shell to devein them. This recipe serves 5-6.