Seafood orzo risotto
At the heart of this dish lies kritharaki, a side dish of orzo simmered with tomatoes that’s a staple on our cypriot table. i had it as a kid and now, a generation later, i frequently make the same to satisfy the growing appetites of my own gorgeous sprogs.
serves 4
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
360g orzo pasta
½tsp smoked paprika
160g diced tomatoes 125ml white wine
A pinch of saffron threads About 2l chicken stock A small handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
A pinch of dried chilli A pinch of fennel seeds A couple of handfuls of live mussels or clams, cleaned A couple of handfuls of prawns
200g sliced squid
400g firm white fish fillets, such as cod or monkfish, cubed
75g petit pois
A splash of ouzo salt and freshly ground black pepper olive oil, for cooking and drizzling
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon 1 In a large, deep-sided frying pan, fry the onion in a little olive oil for 5-10min, until soft but not coloured. Add half the garlic, the orzo and smoked paprika. Fry the orzo for a couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes, wine and saffron to the pan. 2 Reduce the wine until almost gone, season, then add half the stock. Simmer gently, giving it an occasional stir, until the stock is absorbed. Add the rest of the stock in batches, until the orzo is cooked through but has a tiny bit of chewiness; this will take around 20-30min. You may need a little less or more stock depending on the size of your orzo. It will thicken as it cools, so keep some stock by in case you need to loosen it later. 3 Once the orzo is done to your liking, remove from the heat. Add most of the parsley and the chilli flakes and let it rest. (At this stage, you already have a simple kritharaki that makes a perfect side dish.) 4 Next, add a little olive oil to a clean pan, add the fennel seeds and remaining garlic to warm through. Introduce the shellfish and fish to the pan and fry for 1min. Add the petit pois and a tablespoon or two of water and cover to cook the seafood for just a few minutes. Remove the lid and let any residual water evaporate, discarding any mussels that do not open. Add a splash of ouzo and reduce until almost gone. Remove from the heat and pour the contents into the cooked orzo and fold through. 5 Add a little more stock if it’s too thick. Taste for seasoning, pour onto a platter, sprinkle with parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.