Shrimp and Pea Risotto

Dinner can be dull, but NOT when Carrie and her friends are around. There's always something exciting happening in Carrie's kitchen and this time she's tackling an exciting dinner dish that's sure to be a crowd pleaser!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound shrimp
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 onion
1 cup Arborio rice
5-6 cups of chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
basil leaves

SEAFOOD BROTH (optional):
shrimp shells
water

TOOLS:
two 4-quart sauce pans
liquid measuring cup
large ladle
wooden spoon
grater
knife
cutting board

REMEMBER THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS COOK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE HARMFUL, LIKE A KNIFE, SO DON’T EVER ATTEMPT TO DO THESE RECIPES ALONE.

1. Peel a ½ pound of shrimp. Make sure you save your shrimp shells in a container and your shrimp in a bowl. Put the shrimp in the fridge for later.
2. Take the shrimp shells and cover them in water and then microwave the shells on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until they turn pink. This will create a seafood stock that we will be using later. When the shells are done cooking have your adult helper carefully remove them from the liquid. Save the stock and throw away the shells.
3. Dice up a small onion.
4. Get a heavy duty sauce pot and, on a medium heat, sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. Cook the onions until they are translucent…approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Season the onion with about a pinch of salt. Now we are going to add 1 cup of rice to the onions and to let it “toast” for about a minute…stirring constantly.
6. Add 1 cup of white wine…please let an adult handle the wine. And don’t worry, all the alcohol will burn off in the cooking process. Let the wine and rice cook together until all the liquid evaporates.
7. Add the seafood broth that you made with the shrimp shells. Let the mixture cook down until all the stock has disappeared. Stir Constantly.
8. Quickly add a cup of chicken stock to the risotto before it burns. We are going to be adding a total of 6 cups of chicken stock…one cup at a time and stir.
9. Let the chicken stock evaporate before you add each new cup of stock. Continue to stir until mixture gets a creamy consistency. This will take about 20 minutes.
10. About 5 minutes before our rice will be done cooking. This is when we add our shrimp. Pour it all in there and continue to stir.
11. When 2 minutes are left before the rice is done, add the peas. Mix well and then add 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. Stir like you’ve never stirred before.
12. To serve, have your adult helper place the risotto on a large platter and then you can garnish with fresh basil.