Risotto Eclipsed

DEAR SOS: I absolutely loved the shrimp risotto with tomato broth served at Eclipse restaurant in Beverly Hills. Can you see about a recipe?

--CHARLEY

DEAR CHARLEY: I, too, loved this risotto with its wonderfully rich, tasty Seafood Tomato Sauce. It works best if you use arborio, the high-starch, stubby, short-grained rice imported from Italy, that becomes rather creamy when cooked in broth.

ECLIPSE SHRIMP RISOTTO

RISOTTO

3/4 pound unpeeled shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 to 3 1/2 cups hot seafood broth

4 teaspoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Peel shrimp, reserving shells for sauce. Cut shrimp into 1/4-inch pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in medium skillet and add shrimp. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes until shrimp are red in color. Remove shrimp. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in medium skillet. Add garlic and onions and cook until tender. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Add wine and cook until wine evaporates, about 3 minutes. Gradually add broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking between each addition until broth completely evaporates, about 7 minutes for each cup. Cook until rice is tender but still chewy, about 25 minutes. If necessary, add hot water to boiling stock for more liquid.

Add shrimp pieces, butter, parsley and Parmesan cheese and mix well.

SEAFOOD TOMATO SAUCE

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups shrimp shells (from risotto)

1 1/3 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped carrot

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Pinch crushed dried red chile

Pinch saffron

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups coarsely chopped tomato

1 quart water

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup thinly sliced spinach

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add reserved shrimp shells, onion, celery, carrot, thyme, dried chile, saffron and garlic. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, water, wine and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 35 minutes.

Serve risotto in large bowl lined with spinach and surrounded by seafood tomato sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

381 calories; 617 mg sodium; 97 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 1.87 grams fiber.