Crab Risotto with White Wine: A Proper Seafood Recipe

By Beleaev Family | Beleaev Caviar & Gourmet | beleaev.com

Crab risotto is the dish that proves seafood and risotto belong together. Carnaroli rice cooked with fish stock, finished with butter and a small amount of parmesan, topped with fresh white crab meat and lemon zest at the end.

Key Takeaways

• Use Carnaroli rice
• Fish stock, not chicken
• Crab added at end, not cooked through
• Light parmesan, despite Italian no-cheese-with-seafood rule
• 100g crab per portion

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The Ingredients

Serves 4

• 320g Carnaroli rice
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 30g unsalted butter, plus 30g cold for finishing
• 100ml dry white wine
• 1.2 litres hot light fish or chicken stock
• 400g fresh white crab meat
• 40g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tsp juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 small fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• Sea salt and white pepper

The Method

Step 1: Sweat Onion

Melt 30g butter in wide pan over medium-low heat. Add onion. Cook 6 minutes until soft.

Step 2: Toast Rice

Add rice. Stir 90 seconds.

Step 3: Wine and Stock

Add wine, stir until absorbed. Add hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, for 17 minutes.

Step 4: Mantecatura

Off heat, add cold butter, parmesan, lemon juice. Stir vigorously 60 seconds.

Step 5: Fold in Crab

Gently fold in white crab meat, lemon zest, chilli. Season. Don't overstir, keep crab chunks visible.

Step 6: Plate

Spoon into warm shallow bowls. Scatter chives. Serve immediately.

Tips

Fish stock matters. Chicken stock works in a pinch but lacks the seafood depth.

Don't cook the crab. Add at the end. Heat above warming temperature ruins the texture.

Light parmesan only. The strict Italian rule says no cheese with seafood, but a small amount works in this dish for binding.

Mantecatura before crab. Butter and parmesan emulsify the rice. Crab folds in after.

Variations and Pairings

With caviar topping: Add a small spoon (10g) of Royal Oscietra on top of each portion.

With samphire: Add 60g of wilted samphire to each portion alongside the crab.

With brown crab: Add 40g brown crab meat to the rice during the mantecatura for deeper flavour.

Wine pairing: A flinty Chablis or Vermentino.

For more crab dishes, see our crab linguine and crab bisque recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much crab per portion?

100g of white crab meat per portion. Generous.

Why fish stock?

Adds seafood depth that chicken stock lacks. Make from scratch by simmering crab shells with onion, celery, white wine for 30 minutes.

Why mantecatura before crab?

The cold butter and parmesan need contact with the rice and pan to emulsify properly. Crab folded in after.

Can I use frozen crab?

Inferior result. Use fresh white crab meat from a fishmonger.

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Further Reading

• Carnaroli rice and risotto (BBC Good Food)

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A bowl of crab risotto on a summer evening is one of those dinners that defines proper Italian-British seafood cooking. Discover Beleaev's caviar collection at beleaev.com.

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