Enter Risotto Pescatrice, an original recipe by Executive Chef Kenny Ponce of Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen, located at the elegant Park Place in uptown Annapolis. This rich recipe utilizes simple ingredients, yet a deft hand is needed to bring the dish together; moderate culinary skill is needed in the kitchen. Chef Ponce guides us step-by-subtle-step through its preparation and reveals a little bit about himself along the way.
What’s Up?: Kenny, when did your culinary career take flight?
Chef Kenny Ponce: I’m a 1999 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Afterwards, I worked at Baungarts Caffe in Englewood, New Jersey, before moving to the area and cooking at Café Mezzanotte in Severna Park. One year later, I came to Carpaccio. They [Carpaccio] sought me out.
WU: What culinary influences are present in your dishes?
KP: Italian, especially Tuscany. WU: What do you enjoy most about your profession?
KP: Everything, especially the creativity; the ownership of the dishes.
WU: What makes Risotto Pescatrice a special dish?
KP: Well, it’s an original recipe and I like the combination of seafood with the risotto.
WU: Would you say that this dish is easy or difficult to prepare at home?
KP: Somewhat difficult because there is a lot more preparation involved due to the seafood.
Ingredients
- 6 mussels
- 4 small cherrystone clams
- 2 jumbo shrimp
- 1 small lobster tail (halved)
- 1/3 cup calamari
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced shallot
- 1/2 small tomato chopped
- pinch of fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fish stock
- 2 tbsp marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup Arborio rice cooked
- 1 tbsp cherry wine
Preparation
1) Rinse mussels, clams, lobster, and calamari under cold water. Set aside. Peel raw shrimp, de-vein, and set aside.
2) In a large pan over medium heat, add all seafood, garlic, and shallot. Cook about three minutes until mussels and clams begin to open.
3) Add tomato, basil, and fish stock. Cook for one minute.
4) Add marinara sauce. Cook one minute.
5 & 6) Add rice and cook about three to five minutes (until lobster shell turns bright red/orange). Remove mussels, clams, lobster, and shrimp. Set aside.
7) In the pan, add cherry wine to the rice/sauce and carefully flambé to burn off alcohol (long-stem lighter is ideal if using electric stovetop). Cook rice/sauce an additional three minutes, thickening to a risotto consistency.
8) Plate the dish by spooning on risotto and topping with seafood. Garnish with fresh sprig of basil.
Notes:
Arborio rice is the most common and traditional grain of rice used for making risotto; it is readily available at all supermarkets. Fish stock is available in the Asian aisle at most supermarkets, but can be substituted with vegetable stock. Cherry wine is a fruit wine made from cherries; Manischewitz and Tomasello are two popular brands available at most liquor stores. Baby scallops may substitute calamari.
