Prep Time

20 Minutes

Cook Time

40 Minutes

Yield

Serves 6

Description

The rice for this dish is cooked in a deeply flavored scampi cream. The intense flavor is
achieved by cooking the scampi shells with cream, tomato paste and cognac to make
a delicious broth. Many who have made this dish describe it as “Simply heavenly”.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 12 ea Scampi (Langostines or Large Shrimp)
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 ea Shallots, Minced, Divided
• 1/4 cup Cognac
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 tsp Tomato Concentrate
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 cups Arborio Rice
• 1/2 cup Dry White Italian Wine
• 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, Chopped

Method of Preparation

Method:
1. Remove the heads from the scampi. Shell the tails and set aside.
2. Chop the shells and heads.
3. Heat a large sauté pan to high heat, add 1 tbsp EVOO and sauté shells and heads for 5 minutes with 1 of the shallots.
4. Deglaze with 1/2 of the cognac.
5. Light a match to the pan (keep your clothes and hair away from the flame).
6. When flame dies down, add 8 cups of water, the thyme, salt and pepper.
7. Bring to a boil and cook until broth is reduced by half.
8. Strain and discard the solids.
9. Heat the butter in a skillet and sauté the scampi tails, 2 minutes.
10. Deglaze with the remaining Cognac.
11. Light a match to the pan (keep your clothes and hair away from the flame).
12. When the flame dies down, add the broth made in steps 1-8, the tomato concentrate, cream salt and pepper.
13. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
14. Remove from heat. Place scampi tails on a separate plate and keep scampi cream warm.
15. Sauté the remaining shallot in the remaining EVOO for 1 minute.
16. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring.
17. Deglaze with the wine.
18. Once the wine evaporates, slowly add the scampi cream by the ½ cup, only adding more once the rice has absorbed all the liquid in the pan.
19. Continue cooking rice this way until the rice is fully cooked. This will take approximately 18 minutes.
20. Fold in the scampi tails, garnish with parsley and serve hot!

Buon Appetito!!

Recipe Source

The Magazine of La Cucina Italiana