Crab Risotto Recipe: 3 Tips for Making the Dish
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 19, 2024 • 2 min read
Crab risotto is a creamy rice dish with fresh crab meat. For extra flavor, you can finish this risotto dish with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
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What Is Crab Risotto?
Crab risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish with fresh crab meat. Some crab risotto recipes use crab or seafood stock as a base and feature a topping of lump crab meat. Risotto recipes traditionally call for Arborio rice—rounded, short-grain rice with a high starch content—though you can substitute carnaroli rice or other grains for an oat or barley risotto.
The key to risotto is the cooking method: Sauté the risotto rice and then cook it on low heat as you add ladles of stock. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result in a creamy sauce.
3 Tips for Making Crab Risotto
When making crab risotto, consider these tips:
- 1. Experiment with other seafood. You can add other shellfish to the crab risotto, such as clams, scallops, and shrimp, to make a seafood risotto.
- 2. Include the crab innards. If using a whole crab, you can include the crab innards in your risotto. Stir the innards in as you cook the rice to make the risotto richer and more flavorful.
- 3. Make crab stock. You can make crab stock for risotto using lump crab meat, raw crab legs, or whole crabs in their shells, such as Dungeness crab. Cover the crab in six cups of water to make a crab stock. Add aromatics such as celery, carrots, and a bay leaf, and bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for ten minutes. Strain the stock and set it aside for use in the risotto. Take the crab apart and use the meat to top your risotto.
Simple Crab Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
55 mincook time
45 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a low boil, then reduce heat to low, keeping the broth just below a simmer. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 2
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low, then sauté the shallots until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- 3
Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- 4
Add the rice to the shallot-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine.
- 5
Continue stirring until rice is well coated and becomes translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 6
Add about ½ cup warm broth and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often, until rice has fully absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth in ½ cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing rice to absorb liquid between additions, until rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 7
Remove the pan from heat and add ½ cup cheese, crab meat, lemon zest, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- 8
Serve with additional cheese and garnish with chives. Spritz the risotto with lemon juice if using.
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