Rice ring with mozzarella and shrimp heart

To prepare the rice ring with mozzarella and shrimp heart, start with the preparation of the shrimp (alternatively, you can use prawns): take the shrimp and set aside 1/3 (they will be used for the final garnish), blanch the rest of the shrimp for a few minutes in boiling water 1, let them sit for 4-5 minutes, and drain them with a slotted spoon 2; let them cool for a couple of minutes and then proceed with cleaning them. Remove the head 3, legs, peel off the shell and tail, and remove the intestinal vein from the back, making sure to set aside the heads and shells, which will be used for the broth. For more details, consult the How to clean shrimp guide from the Cooking School. (Alternatively, you can clean the raw shrimp, cut them into pieces, and sauté them in a pan with oil for a few minutes).

Once cleaned, cut them into small pieces 4 and set them aside. Now, prepare the broth: fill a small pot with 17 oz (500 ml) of water and add the shrimp scraps 5 that you set aside after cleaning (head, shell, tail). Cook for at least 30 minutes to flavor the broth. Once ready, strain the broth through a sieve and set it aside; it will be used for cooking the risotto. (For an even richer taste, prepare the broth following the Shellfish Stock guide from the Cooking School). Cut the mozzarella into pieces 6,

place it in a sieve to remove the preservation water 7. Take the zucchini flowers, remove the stem, gently open the flowers with your fingers and extract the fleshy pistils inside and at the base of the flowers, remove the stalk 8, make a cut along the long side and open them 9.

Grease a bundt pan with a top diameter of 9 inches and a capacity of 7 cups 10, line the walls of the pan with the zucchini flowers (11-12), and set aside the leftover flowers, which will be used for the risotto.

Now that you have prepared all the necessary ingredients, start preparing the risotto: place the oil in a pan, let the onion soften for at least 10 minutes, when it is golden, add the rice 13, toast it for a few minutes, deglaze with beer at room temperature 14, and when it has evaporated, add the prepared fish broth little by little 15.

Halfway through the cooking, flavor the risotto with thyme 16 and add the leftover zucchini flowers 17. Continue cooking the rice, adding broth each time the rice has absorbed the previous one. Once ready, let the risotto cool slightly. At this point, you can assemble the ring: take the pan you lined with zucchini flowers: fill the pan with half the rice, level the surface with the back of a spoon, and press the center of the rice to form a hollow 18; then raise the rice on the sides to better accommodate the filling.

Place the mozzarella 19 and shrimp 20 filling in the center of the hollow. Cover everything with the remaining rice 21,

level the surface well with the back of a spoon 22. Bake the ring in a static oven at 356°F for 40 minutes (or in a convection oven at 320°F for 30 minutes). Once cooked 23, let it cool slightly, then remove the ring from the pan by turning it over onto a serving plate 24.

Finish the dish by garnishing the ring with the shrimp set aside: in a pan with oil and a clove of garlic, sauté the whole shrimp with shells 25 for a few minutes, then place them in the center of the ring, laying them with the tail facing outward 26. Your rice ring with mozzarella and shrimp heart is now ready to be served 27.