When I made my clove-infused shrimp the other day, I made enough for several meals. One way to stretch the amount of meat or fish you have available is to chop it and put it into a grain-based dish, in this case an Italian shrimp risotto.

I like seafood risotto, which is a Northern Italian way of cooking their short and medium-grain rice, because risottos are a perfect use for the fish stock I make with the heads and bones of the fish I catch. A good seafood stock can elevate a risotto from good to great; but don't be scared off if you can't find any -- chicken stock works as well.

While this shrimp risotto looks fancy, all I did was cram it into an old tin can with the bottom cut out -- a poor man's circle mold. This gives the dish a nicer presentation and let me top it with the cheeks of a Calfornia halibut I came home with the other day. Top your "fancy" risotto the next time you have guests over with something lovely like caviar, a shelled lobster claw, or even just a whole shrimp.

Photo copyright 2008 Hank Shaw