• Ingredients: 42
  • Serves: 4

Seafood risotto (risotto ai fruitti di mare) with fish or vegetable stock, olive oil, unsalted butter, small onion, minced, carnaroli or vialone nano rice, dry white wine, small clams, such as manila, mussels, scrubbed and debearded, squid, cleaned and cut into thin rings, medium sea scallops, peeled, crushed, and seeded plum tomatoes, loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped garlic, brandy, extra-virgin olive oil, freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, optional, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups fish or vegetable stock
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsps. unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 1 1/3 cups Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 8 small clams, such as Manila
  • 8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 4 oz. squid, cleaned and cut into thin rings
  • 4 medium sea scallops
  • 1/2 cup peeled, crushed, and seeded plum tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp. brandy
  • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fish

  • 4 1-inch-thick swordfish steaks, about 8 oz. each
  • 2 tbsps. Dijon or coarse-grained mustard
  • 2 tbsps. fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 tsps. dried

Vegetables

  • Fresh rosemary sprigs

PASTRIES

  • 1/2 cup chopped unsalted pistachios

For assembly

  • large pastry bag
  • 1/2-inch plain tip
  • 1/4-inch plain tip
  • Note: a cake decorating turntable is helpful for assembling a croquembouche

For mango ravioli

To cook fish and assemble dish

  • Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer

Espresso chocolate chunk:

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
  • 2 tsp. espresso powder

Very berry:

Peppermint fudge:

  • 3 tbsps. fudge sauce
  • 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions

  1. Step 1 2. In a large saucepan over moderately low heat, warm the olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the onion, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender (there should be no color), about 5 minutes.

    For this step you will need

    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 tbsps. unsalted butter
  2. Step 2 3. Add the wine and cook until almost completely absorbed. Add most of the stock (it should come about 1/2 inch above the rice) and bring to a simmer.
  3. Step 3 Cook the risotto, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed some of the liquid, about 8 minutes.
  4. Step 4 4. Add the clams, mussels, squid, scallops, and tomatoes, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the seafood is cooked and the rice is al dente, about 6 minutes more.

    For this step you will need

    • 8 small clams, such as Manila
    • 8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
    • 4 oz. squid, cleaned and cut into thin rings
    • 4 medium sea scallops
    • 1/2 cup peeled, crushed, and seeded plum tomatoes
  5. Step 5 5. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the parsley, garlic, brandy, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, if using, and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

    For this step you will need

    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 3 tbsps. unsalted butter
    • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
    • 1 tbsp. brandy
    • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  6. Step 6 Stir well to release the starches and make the risotto creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

    For this step you will need

    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper