Ingredients

Risotto

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 500g arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1 litre vegetable stock or water
• 200ml coconut milk
• 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 large red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 tbsp Thai basil leaves or basil leaves
• 1 tbps tarragon leaves

Seafood

• 500g live mussels
• 30 tiger prawns, peeled
• 180g queen scallops
• 120g squid rings

To Serve

• 3 tbsp cashew nuts, finely chopped

Method

1. Mussels: Place the mussels (any mussels that are open and do not shut when given a sharp tap should be discarded) in a pan with 200ml white wine, lemon grass and star anise, place them over a moderate heat and cover them. Leave them to cook for around 5 minutes until they have just opened (any that don't open discard). Remove the mussels from the cooking liquid and strain the liquid and set it asides for the risotto Set aside 18 mussels in their shell and remove the rest of the mussels from their shells, store the mussels in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
2. Risotto: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat add the red curry paste and cook it until it becomes aromatic. Stir the rice in to the pan and coat it in the paste and oil and cook it while stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the mussel cooking liquid to the rice and stir it with a wooden spoon as it absorbs into the rice. Bring the stock or water to the boil and add a ladleful of it to the rice and leave it a low but steady simmer until it is absorbed into the rice, stirring it regularly. Continue this process until you have used all the stock and the rice is not quite but nearly aldente (tender with a bite), this will take 20-25 minutes. Now stir in the coconut milk and simmer it for a couple of minutes until it is almost absorbed. Add all the seafood to the risotto and cook it while stirring for 3-5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked (the prawns should be pink and the scallops opaque). Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, chili, basil and tarragon leaves. Serve hot.
3. To Serve: Divide the seafood risotto equally among 6 bowls and sprinkle over the cashew nuts. Serve.