March 26

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SWEETCORN, CRAB AND CHILLI RISOTTO

Posted by on March 26, 2014 in Fish, Recipes, Thermomix | 5 Comments

This is one of those recipes I almost didn’t blog. Why? Well, it includes an ingredient that for some reason seems a little embarrassing. A bit like scrolling through my albums in front of Ed the sound recordist the other day to find ‘Ethiopique – music of the 60’s and 70’s recorded on 2 tracks in Adis Ababa’ and alighting on a Susan Boyle track I downloaded in a moment of utter despair, I fear that while searching through my larder you will find artisan dried chickpeas and three brands of cocounut milk, you will also always, but always find this: Several tins of sweetcorn. There, I’ve said it. It’s out. I like sweetcorn.

I also like pureed sweetcorn but it’s pretty hard to do in a conventional blender and always requires passing through a sieve to get a truly smooth consistency. So imagine my delight when I realized that this was yet another task my lovely loaner Thermomix could master.

So bear with me on this one. I might sound a bit odd but it’s a very comforting and tasty dish. A little note of that Chinese crab and sweetcorn thing, and the heft of a creamy Italian risotto but without the overload of butter and cheese…the sweetcorn brings a creaminess without the added fat. And it’s a lovely sunny colour.

SWEETCORN, CRAB AND CHILI RISOTTO

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 1 small tin of sweetcorn
  • 1 shallot
  • 10g butter
  • 50g Arborio rice
  • 20g white wine
  • 100g chicken stock
  • ½ red chili, finely chopped
  • 150g white crab meat
  • chopped chives
  • salt & pepper

Method

  1. Put the tin of sweetcorn in the Thermomix and blend speed 10/2 minutes. Check and make sure it’s very smooth. Give another blast if it isn’t. Scrape out of jug and set aside.
  1. Give the Thermomix jug a quick rinse and add the shallot. 10 seconds/speed 5 to chop finely. Add the butter and sauté  4 mins/100C/reverse stir
  1. Add the rice 3 mins/100C/reverse stir
  1. Add the wine 3 mins/100C/reverse stir.
  1. When the wine has almost evaporated add the stock and chili and set for 12 mins/100C/reverse stir.
  1. Add the crab meat, and as much of the sweetcorn mix as necessary to create a creamy consistency. Heat through on 100C/reverse stir for a couple of minutes. In the last moment stir through the chives and serve in a warm bowl and try not to blush.

Non-Thermomix – blend the sweetcorn in a food processor or blender and pass through a fine sieve if you can be bothered. Then make the risotto thus:

  1. In a heavy based pan, melt the butter and add the shallots to soften.
  2. Add the rice and toast for a few moments.
  3. Add the wine and allow it to absorb almost completely before adding the stock a little at a time, stirring as you go.
  4. Add the chili half way through.
  5. Taste and when the rice has a little bit stir through as much of the sweetcorn puree as you wish to get a creamy consistency.
  6. Add the crab and warm through.
  7. Lastly, add the chives and serve in a warm bowl.