Creamy Prawn Risotto

This creamy prawn risotto is the ultimate comfort food! Short grain arborio rice is cooked in an easy homemade prawn stock until tender, then loaded with butter and parmesan for a creamy, silky texture. It’s easy to make and perfect for entertaining or a delicious, restaurant-quality dinner at home.

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• Why you’ll love this recipe
• Ingredients you will need
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• FAQs
• Related recipes
• Creamy Prawn Risotto

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to make – while risotto is a little time-consuming, this recipe is very straightforward and simple to follow, with tips and step-by-step instructions so you get the perfect risotto, every time.
• Perfect for any occasion –it’s easy enough for a weeknight meal, but also impressive enough for entertaining or special occasions.
• Loaded with flavour –this risotto is creamy, cheesy, garlicky and the homemade prawn stock adds so much flavour!

If you are entertaining, try it with this slow cooked pork belly or prawn gyoza.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Arborio rice – an Italian, short-grain rice that becomes firmer, chewier and creamier than regular white rice when cooked. It is perfect for making risotto, as it holds its shape when absorbing liquid and releases starch to make the risotto thick and creamy. You’ll find Arborio rice in the rice section of the supermarket. Carnaroli rice can also be used. I don’t recommend using regular rice, as it will lose its texture.
• Prawns – whole, raw king prawns (heads on). Every part of the prawn is used. The flavourful heads and shells are removed and utilised to make the prawn stock. This minimises food waste and adds a huge depth of flavour to stock and the finished risotto. The meat of the prawns is cooked through the risotto at the end.
• Fish stock – water, herbs and fresh aromatics can be used to make the prawn stock from scratch, but we use ready-made fish stock to save time. Choose a good quality one from your supermarket or specialty food store. Alternatively, store-bought chicken stock or homemade stock can be used.
• White wine – adds acidity to the risotto, to balance the richness. It also enhances the other flavours. You don’t need an expensive white wine, but a good quality one is recommended. For cooking savoury dishes, choose a dry (not sweet) wine with acidity and depth. I use Sauvingnon Blanc, Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. If you don’t want to use wine, use extra stock and a little more lemon juice.
• Tomato paste – thick tomato paste adds richness to the stock. Use a tomato paste concentrate without any extra flavourings or additives.
• Butter – gives the risotto richness and an ultra-silky texture. I recommend real butter for best results. Use salt-reduced butter, as we will adjust the salt in the dish at the end.
• Parmesan – freshly grated parmesan helps to create the creamy texture and adds saltiness to the dish. I don’t recommend using pre-grated or powdered parmesan. Alternatively, Pecorino Romano can be used.

Step by step instructions

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;

Step 1 – Make the prawn stock;

1. Separate the prawn heads from the body and peel the prawns. Set aside the prawn meat. The tails can be left on for looks, or removed.
2. Fry the prawn heads and shells with the olive oil until they become a deep red colour and aromatic (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the tomato paste, bay leaves and fish stock and simmer for 20 minutes to create the stock.
4. Strain the stock through a sieve and set aside until ready to cook.

Step 2 – Make the risotto;

Make sure all of your ingredients are prepped and ready to cook before starting.

1. In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt half of the butter and cook the onion, garlic and pepper until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes, until the rice becomes translucent.
3. Pour the wine into the rice and stir, until the wine is absorbed.
4. Reserve ½ cup stock for later.
5. Add ½ cup of the prawn stock. Cook, stirring, until the rice absorbs all of the stock. Continue adding ½ cup of stock at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid between additions. Cook until al dente (around 12-15 minutes).
6. Chop the prawn meat into chunks, keeping a few prawns whole for presentation.
7. Add the prawn meat, lemon juice and remaining prawn stock and stir until the prawns are cooked through.
8. Turn the heat off and stir through the parmesan and remaining butter. Taste, and season with salt if needed.
9. Serve immediately, with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.

Allow each addition of stock to absorb into the rice before adding more.

Make sure the heat is turned off when stirring through the butter and parmesan.

Expert tips

• Don’t rinse the Arborio rice before use! The starch in the rice gives the risotto its creamy texture. We don’t want to wash it away.
• The key to a creamy risotto is constant stirring and gradual absorption. Don’t rush the process by adding all of the liquid at once. Wait for the rice to absorb the stock before adding more. This process helps to release the starch from the rice and allows the rice to absorb all of the liquid and flavours.
• Avoid leaving the risotto on the stove without stirring and keep an eye on things during the cooking process, or the bottom can catch on the bottom of the pan and burn.
• The heads and shells of the prawns contain so much flavour; make sure you utilise them for the stock!
• Have all of your ingredients prepared and ready before starting; everything will happen quickly in the pan. The stock can be prepared ahead of time, if required.
• If the risotto is too thick, stir through a splash more stock or water at a time, until it loosens.

FAQs

Related recipes

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