Risotto with Scampi Cream

Method

1. Chop carrot, celery, and garlic into small pieces. Cut cherry tomatoes in half.
2. In a pot, heat olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables with fresh oregano.
3. Clean the scampi: separate heads from tails. Remove the meat from the heads and tails and set aside. Reserve the tail shells for the broth.
4. Add the scampi heads to the pot with vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and sauté.
5. In another pot, prepare the scampi broth: add tail shells, cherry tomatoes, oregano, lemon juice, salt, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes.
6. Once the heads are cooked, press them with a potato masher to extract juices.
7. Deglaze the pot with white wine (or cognac/whisky). Let the alcohol evaporate.
8. Add enough water to cover the heads, bring to a boil, and cook on high heat for 5 minutes until the liquid reduces.
9. Transfer the mixture (heads, vegetables, liquid) to a blender and blend until smooth.
10. Strain the bisque through a fine sieve, pressing with a spoon. Set aside.
11. Strain the broth from step 5 and keep warm.
12. In a clean pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the rice. Toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
13. Begin adding the warm broth, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Add a few drops of lemon juice if desired.
14. When the rice is halfway cooked, add 2 raw whole scampi to the pot. Cook for about 1.5 minutes, then remove and set aside.
15. About 5 minutes before the risotto is done, stop adding broth and add the bisque. Stir until creamy.
16. Once the rice is al dente and creamy, turn off the heat.
17. Fold in the reserved scampi meat. The residual heat will cook it gently.
18. Plate the risotto, top with a cooked scampi tail, drizzle with extra bisque, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.