Tomato Garlic Shrimp with Risotto

Photography by Angèle van Diessen

Cooking is one of the things that I simply love to do, and I will take the time to do it.   I love to experiment with new ingredients or methods. 

This dish tastes great and it's quite simple. First, I seasoned the peeled and deveined shrimp with some kosher salt and ground black pepper. Then, I sautéed them in olive and minced garlic. At the very end, I threw in some diced tomato and a few torn basil leaves. I served it atop a risotto with a very mild flavor. It's flavor comes from the chicken broth I used to cook it and a little grated Parmesan cheese. The mild creaminess of the risotto paired with the bold flavors of the shrimp is a great combination!

The key to well-cooked shrimp is high heat for only a couple minutes. Shrimp cooks extremely quickly, and you also have to take into account the fact that it will continue to cook in the residual heat. So, you have to stop cooking the shrimp before they're fully done.

Risotto is not something you can leave to itself. It needs constant stirring to release the starch that will give you the creamy consistency as you gradually add the cooking liquid. It should take somewhere around 20-25 minutes to cook. This is probably the most labor-intensive part of the entire dish, but the creaminess is worth it!

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