Inspired by the creamy langoustine risotto that was very popular in Rome in the 80s, this creamy prawn risotto has all the luxurious vibes you need for a dinner party, but it makes full use of the seafood by optimizing wastage and both prawn heads and shells in the sauce.

It is the perfect dish to impress someone, classy and elegant with a light spicy touch and intriguing notes of gin. I’ve used Italian pink prawns and they give their best when served slightly marinated rather than fully cooked but feel free to use any prawns you can find and roast them before plating.

Preparation

Remove the heads from the prawns and peel carefully. Remove the prawns’ intestines by pulling the long black vein along with the tails. Keep the peelings, remove the eyes from the heads and discards the intestines.

In a large pot, toast the chopped vegetables with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. After 5 minutes, add the prawn trimmings and toast for 3 more minutes until golden.

Deglaze with a splash of gin and add the chopped tomatoes, herbs and cover with water (just enough to cover it). Season with salt, add the tomato paste, the chili and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the foaming impurity that will surface to the top whilst simmering and blend everything. Pass through a fine sieve and keep on the side.

In a separate pot, toast the rice on a low heat with a pinch of salt, for about 5 minutes without oil. Keep stirring the rice, so that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or burn. When the rice is very hot, pour the remaining gin in. Let the alcohol evaporate, set the cooking time to 16 minutes and then hot water a ladle at a time, little by little. Stir the rice occasionally, and keep cooking.

While the risotto cooks, dress the prawns’ tails with a pinch of salt and pepper, a couple of drops of lemon juice and the lemon zest and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

When you have a 3/4  minutes left, start to add a couple of spoons per person of prawn sauce into the the risotto and keep cooking. When ready, remove from the heat and start the “mantecatura”. Add more or less prawn stock if it pleases you.

Add the butter and chopped parsley to the rice and stir with energy until the risotto is nice and creamy. Season to taste and add more hot water if it dries up too much.

Plate the hot risotto and top it with the marinated prawns, a few pieces of lemon zests and a few basil leaves.

Chef’s tips:  Imported sweet prawns are most commonly found in speciality shops or online already frozen which is the best way to preserve their characteristics and the most safe method of storage, especially if you serve them raw/marinated.