Spicy, aromatic, and rich, this spicy shrimp and potato recipe is a boldly flavored comfort dinner and is unlike any other risotto recipe you’ve ever tried.
When I say this is the best risotto recipe I have ever made, I MEAN IT. It was so good, so flavorful, and so unlike any other risotto I’ve ever made.
For this recipe, I used brinjal caponata as the base, but you can use a spicy curry powder instead, like Madras curry powder.
When I made this risotto, I wanted to get a little creative with it, thus the big, bold flavors. I also got inventive with the base ingredients. Typically, I use shallot, butter, and garlic as the base for my risotto recipes. As I couldn’t find a single onion or shallot in my pantry yesterday, I had to get creative. I did have two potatoes, though! I thought that as they cooked down, they might add even more richness to the dish, and they did!
How to make this spicy shrimp and potato risotto recipe:
For this risotto, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Butter
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Brinjal caponata or hot madras curry powder
- Baldo, arborio rice, or carnaroli rice
- Chicken stock or water
- Jumbo shrimp
- Aleppo pepper
- Parsley
To make it, start by melting butter into a large pot. Add the small-diced potatoes and cook, stirring often, until they just begin to brown.
Add the caponata or curry powder and cook it until fragrant. From there, add the rice and cook until toasts slightly.
Begin whisking in the water or stock in increments until completely incorporated. Stir after each addition and cook for 30–40 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the risotto is creamy and the rice is almost completely tender.
For this dish, shrimp is used two ways – whole and chopped. Most of the shrimp is chopped up and added to the risotto right before it’s finished cooking.
The whole shrimp are poached in lemon water and then tossed with butter seasoned with parsley and Aleppo pepper flakes.
After the rice is tender and the shrimp are cooked through, let stand for 5 minutes. Divide it between bowls and pile those beautifully poached shrimp on top! Garnish with more fresh parsley or microgreens.
Spicy Shrimp and Potato Risotto
Equipment
- Large pot
- Medium pot with lid
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¾ pound Yukon gold potatoes peeled and small-diced
- 2–3 Thai chili peppers trimmed and minced
- 1 tablespoon brinjal caponata or 2 teaspoons hot Madras curry powder
- 3 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes divided
- 1 cup Baldo rice or use arborio rice or carnaroli rice
- 5–6 cups chicken stock or water
- 2 pounds jumbo shrimp peeled, 12 left whole and the rest peeled and chopped
- 1 lemon halved
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- Microgreens optional, for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cook the potatoes:
- Melt the butter into a large pot. Add the small-diced potatoes and cook, often stirring, until they just begin to brown—season with salt and pepper.
- Add the Thai chili peppers, brinjal caponata or curry powder and 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Cook the rice:
- Add the rice and toss to coat for 1–2 minutes until it just begins to toast.
- Begin whisking in the water or stock in ladleful increments. Stir after each addition and cook for a few minutes until absorbed by the rice. Continue for 30–40 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed, the risotto is creamy, and the rice is almost completely tender. Add more liquid as needed—season with salt and pepper.
Cook the chopped shrimp:
- Add the chopped shrimp to the pot of rice and cook for 5–7 minutes until opaque and cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste and season.
Prepare the poached shrimp:
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, juice the lemon into the pot and add the halves to the pot. Turn off the heat and add the 12 whole, peeled shrimp. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, melt the 2 tablespoons butter into a bowl and add the remaining 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper flakes and the minced parsley. Season with salt and stir to combine.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the poached shrimp from the pot to the melted butter. Toss to coat with the butter.
To serve:
- Divide the warm risotto between bowls and place 3 whole shrimp on top of each dish. Drizzle each dish with any leftover Aleppo pepper butter. Garnish with microgreens if you like. Enjoy!
