Thai style Crab Chili Rissotto
(Sà~dtaai Tai bpuu prík rissotto สไตล์ไทยปูพริกริซอตโต้)

(Serves 2)

Adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe.

A high-starch (amylopectin), low-amylose round medium- or short- grain white rice is usually used for making rissotto. Such rices have the ability to absorb liquids and to release starch and so they are stickier than the long grain varieties. The principal rissotto rice varieties used in Italy are Arborio, Baldo, Carnaroli, Maratelli, Padano, Roma, and Vialone Nano.  A 250g packet of Riso Gallo rissotto rice sells at 220 baht in Thailand. The rice I suggest can be purchased from Tops/Central supermarkets and can be used for Risottos and Paellas as well as Sushi.  It is grown in Thailand at Chiang Rai. It's a Japanese variety called 'Sasanishiki', is produced by a company called King Elephant and costs about the same price as a standard good quality local rice such as Hom Mali, about 70 baht/kg.

Ingredients:

1 litre light chicken stock (náam-dtôm-gàI น้ำต้มไก่) (made up to half strength)

1 stick of lemongrass (dtà~krái ตะไคร้)

15ml olive oil (nám-man-má~gɔ̀ɔk น้ำมันมะกอก)

4 shallots, (dtôn-hɔ̌ɔm ต้นหอม) finely chopped

2 fresh red chillis (prík พริก), de-seeded and finely chopped

1 glove garlic (grà~tiiam กระเทียม)

200g rissotto rice (kâao rissotto ข้าวริซอตโต้)

75ml Chinese cooking wine (waai jiin ไวน์จีน)

200g crabmeat (bpuu ปู)

Zest and juice of a lime, plus 1 lime to serve

Salt and pepper to taste (glʉʉa เกลือ)\ prík-tai-dam พริกไทยดำ)

2 handfuls of coriander (bai pàk-chii ใบผักชี) (plus a little extra for garnish)

Method

1/ Make up the stock, infused with bruised lemongrass, and put in a saucepan over a low heat to keep hot.

2/ Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan with a lid, and when warm add the shallots, chili and garlic. Cook over a low heat for a minute or so (take care not to let the garlic burn).

3/ Turn the heat up and add the rice, stirring it into the chili and shallots.

4/ Add the wine and let this bubble up and be absorbed into the rice. Now add a ladleful of the hot, infused stock and cook, stirring all the while, until it too is absorbed.

5/ Turn the heat down and add a ladleful of stock at a time, stirring. Don’t rush this part – it will probably take about 20 minutes.

6/ Take the pan off the heat, add the crabmeat and the lime zest and juice and stir, then taste for seasoning. Now, stir in the coriander leaves, put the lid on and, with the pan still off the heat, let it stand for a few minutes until the leaves have wilted.

7/ Divide the rissotto into 2 bowls, garnish with a few more coriander leaves and a quarter of lime each (squeeze this over just before eating).