I can’t believe it’s November already — where did the year go? The weather is grey and wet, so I’m craving colourful, comforting food to lift the mood. This pork and seafood risotto does exactly that.
Happy 4th Birthday, Ramona’s Cuisine!
We recently celebrated the blog’s fourth birthday — can you believe this is recipe number 241? Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Between cooking, family, projects, work and volunteering, life has been full and wonderful.
I had planned a cake post for this milestone, but instead I’m sharing this vibrant, comforting pork and seafood risotto. It’s full of flavour and colour — I made it recently and it was irresistible. I cook seafood risotto often and only realised I hadn’t posted a recipe after my kids asked. They insisted I share it because it’s too good not to, so here it is.
We love the combination of pork and seafood in this risotto. This batch was especially delicious thanks to a lovely organic risotto rice I used from Organico — one of the best I’ve tried in a while. Organico sent me some products to try and I enjoyed them all, especially their Toscana chopped tomatoes which are full of authentic Italian flavour.
How to cook risotto rice — toast or not?
Some recipes call for toasting the rice first, but I no longer do this. Toasting can reduce the creamy texture produced by the rice starch. Varieties like Carnaroli and Arborio are high in amylopectin, which releases starch while cooking and creates the risotto’s signature creaminess — much like Japanese rice.
Why pair turmeric with long pepper?
Recent research suggests turmeric’s benefits are amplified when combined with pepper. I found that interesting and now I always add extra pepper. I was already doing this naturally — for example in my red split lentil curry I always add turmeric and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
If you don’t have long pepper, use regular ground black pepper. They differ in flavor and intensity — black pepper tends to be stronger to my palate, though opinions vary. Long pepper can be found at specialty shops or online if you want to try it.
Let’s get cooking!
Pork and seafood risotto with turmeric and long pepper
Equipment
- skillet
- wooden spoon
- stove
- chopping board
Ingredients
- 350 g risotto rice
- 400 g pork loin cut into chunks
- 200 g prawns
- 500 ml vegetable stock heated
- 100 ml double cream
- 200 ml white wine
- 2 medium onions
- 3-4 cloves garlic crushed and finely chopped
- 2 squid tubes large, cut into rings
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon long pepper powder
- 1 red chilli
- 1 teaspoon Hawaiian red salt or pink Himalayan
- 2 spring onions
- 1 handful parsley fresh
- 2 tablespoon almond flakes optional
- 2 tablespoon oil optional
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the pork and brown it lightly on all sides.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic, grated ginger, salt, turmeric and pepper. Cook a couple more minutes, adding a splash of stock if the pan gets too dry. The pork should be nicely browned but not overcooked.
- Pour in the wine, then add the rice and stir so each grain is coated. Begin adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring and letting the liquid absorb before adding more, until the rice is al dente and the texture is creamy.
- Stir in the double cream and half the chopped herbs. Cook for another minute or two.
- About 5–6 minutes before the risotto is done, add the prawns and the squid rings so they cook through without becoming rubbery. (See notes for an alternative method of cooking seafood.)
- Stir in the remaining fresh herbs, sliced chilli and spring onions. Serve immediately while hot, and sprinkle almond flakes on top if using.
Notes
I sometimes start by cooking the seafood in a knob of butter with garlic and pepper, then remove it and add it back in toward the end. After removing the seafood, continue cooking the pork and onions in the flavorful juices left behind for extra depth.
Enjoy!
If you make this pork and seafood risotto with turmeric and long pepper: I’d love to hear how it turned out and whether you made any swaps or tweaks. Leave a comment below or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #ramonascuisine — I love seeing your creations.
Thank you for stopping by — I hope you’ll check the blog again soon for more family-friendly recipes and cooking ideas. Have a wonderful day!
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 84g
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Protein: 50g
Mention @ramonas.cuisine or tag #ramonascuisine on Instagram — I’d love to see your version.
