There is no better pairing than seafood and Risotto. The unique taste of Arborio rice infused with seafood broth and a taste of the ocean with every bite – it’s a match made in heaven. The seafood risotto, however, has a status for being hard to execute. Too much broth and you will end up with a gooey mess, too little broth and the rice will taste hard, but you get it right, it’s a crowd-pleaser.
The origins of Seafood Risotto
The history of Seafood Risotto can be traced all the way back to the 14th century. While Seafood risotto is known as an Italian dish, it was the Arabs who made risotto a possible dish when they introduced rice to Spain and Sicily during their ruling.
However, the geographical location of Spain wasn’t flat enough for rice to grow, so Italy became the destination to grow rice for its humid weather and abundance of flatlands and rice became a staple food for the Italians.
The risotto itself however only existed in the late 1500s when a young apprentice, Valerius plotted revenge against his master. In 1574, Valerius was in charge of painting the stained-glass window of Cathedral Duomo Di Milano, but while he was completing his art, the town people made fun of him and credited the saffron for the beautiful colours on the glass instead of acknowledging Valerius’s hard work.
Valerius got so angry that he planned to ruin his master’s wedding, which was the talk of the town and time for festivities for everyone in town. In order to do so, Valerius added saffron to the rice that was being served as the main dish of the wedding in hopes that it will ruin the celebration, but instead it received such good feedbacks and risotto rose to fame.
Traditionally, the risotto is a very simple dish to prepare, and Arborio rice became the type of rice for risotto because of its ability to soak in more moisture without being overcooked. Risotto can be served on its own, but seafood became a popular accompaniment to go with risotto because of its contrast with the texture of the risotto and the unique sea taste that compliments the Arborio saffron rice well.
The nutrition benefits of Seafood Risotto
A standard serving of Arborio rice, which is about 1 cup when fully prepared contains about 35 grams of carbohydrates, a gram of fiber, 5 grams of protein and a gram of fat. The Arborio rice itself contains less minerals and vitamins compared to other strains of rice like Jasmine or Long grain but once they are converted to glucose they can be a good source of energy for your body.
A standard seafood mix that is typically used to make risotto such as calamari, mussels, shrimp and lobster will also provide you with protein, iron, magnesium, calcium and Omega-3, which can improve cardiovascular health and help reduce inflammation.
Some restaurants would add in vegetables like mushroom and celery to make it healthier. Mushroom goes well with creamy risotto, and it also provides you with antioxidants.
Where to get Seafood Risotto in Malaysia
Buying the Arborio rice in supermarket in Malaysia can be quite expensive and even if you have it, making sure the Risotto is cooked al-dente can be quite challenging. So save your time and try the Seafood Risotto from Mangiiare Dine and Bar instead. They also do delivery. Another restaurant that also does delivery and serves Risotto is Table9 in KL, their Seafood Tomato Risotto will definitely transport you to Italy the moment you take the first spoonful.
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