This summery crab risotto is quick and easy to make. GRAYDON+HERRIOTT FOR WALL STREET JOURNAL. FOOD STYLING PERFORMED BY REBECCA JAURKEVICH. PROP STYLING PERFORMED BY AMY 

“Is it heaven? Isn’t that right? “You’re in paradise.” This is the text that I received from a friend who saw I was recently traveling along the Amalfi coast of Italy.

This recipe will transport you to Italy in spirit if you are not among the millions of people who plan to visit this summer. It’s not something I would generally consider making in the summer. But Amalfi’s Lo Scoglio and La Tonnarella restaurants showed me how delicious it was for a casual al fresco dinner or lunch. Imagine arriving by boat, sun-kissed and ravenous after swimming.

Every meal I had there was exceptional and simply prepared. The seafood was freshly hauled into the country. The produce had been grown locally. The tomatoes hung from pergolas and windows, soaking in the sun. They were sweetening up, ready to be tossed into everything. Lemons were used in abundance, with a lot of zest. Basil was abundant and grew in small pots placed on the table. You could pick leaves as you pleased.

While I was in Italy, I had risotto with all sorts of seafood. However, I love crabs and have made this the star. You can skip the hassle of cracking crab shells and buy lump crab meat instead. This will allow you to prepare the meal in less than 30 minutes. If you are going to a vacation rental and arrive late on Friday, then this can be a quick meal or part of an elaborate feast for friends on Saturday. This small amount of ingredients, including arborio rice and stock, as well as scallions, garlic cloves, creme fraîche, sugar snap peas and fresh herbs can be packed into a travel cooler.

This is a great choice for a casual al fresco dinner or lunch.

While you are cooking the risotto, and as the stock absorbs slowly, cup by glass, nibble on the crisp snap peas, sweet crab meat and salty Parmigiano. Chef’s reward.

To keep the table looking fresh, let’s use white tablecloths. Decorate the table with large bowls of lemons and potted basil, as well as colorful ceramic plates, stemmed glasses, and sculptural bottles. We welcome dog-eared books, sunglasses, folded fans, wet or wild hair, and even smudged paperbacks.

This is how I intend to make this risotto a party. I will start off the evening with a bowl of Castelvetrano Olives and Cappelletti Spritz for everyone. After the aperitivo, I will bring the risotto in the pot so that it stays warm. I’ll serve it along with a simple salad of arugula and slices of grilled crusty toast generously brushed with olive oil. The extra crunch and bread to mop the plates up will be perfect.

On the table, there will be bottles of sparkling and still Italian water. The wine bottles will be chilled in buckets filled with ice. Three easy-to-drink Amalfi whites that I enjoyed on my trip, all available in the U.S., would be perfect for this meal: the 2022 Quintodecimo Greco di Tufo from Arles, the 2021 La Sibilla Cruna de Lago, and the 2020 Luigi Maffini Fiano Paestum. It’s possible to decant the wine and add slices of peach. Having extra ice cubes is also important.

The dessert is melon on ice. The friend you know will want to dance by then. Play some Italian pop songs that you wish you could understand the lyrics. Amaro and Limoncello will finish off the night for you and your friends.

Risotto with Crab, Snap Peas and Cream

This dish is a delicious crab dish with crisp, sweet snap peas and fresh herbs. Some cooks may find the constant stirring required to make risotto a challenge, but it is actually 20 minutes of time for you. Pour yourself a crisp glass of white wine, relax and daydream.

TOTAL TIMES: 45 minutes

SERVES: 4-6

GRAYDON + HERRIOTT FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH, PROP STYLING BY AMY WILSON

Ingredients

• 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• Extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 shallots finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• Crab meat, shells removed.
• Snap peas, 1/2 pound, cut in half on the diagonal
• Parmigiano Reggiano – 1 cup finely grated, plus extra for serving
• Three tablespoons of creme fraiche
• One teaspoon of lemon zest
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice
• 14 cups finely chopped chives
• Dill, finely chopped: 1/4 cup
• One teaspoon of kosher salt
• Freshly ground black Pepper

Directions

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. Warm oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven on medium-low heat. Add shallots, and cook until translucent and soft (about 5 minutes). Continue to sauté until the rice is coated with garlic, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add wine and reduce by half. Stirring constantly, and add a ladleful of warm stock. Cook until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding ladles of stock until the risotto becomes loose and creamy and the rice is tender but al dente, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Fold in crab and warm through. Stir in snap peas with Parmigiano cheese, creme fraîche, lemon juice, and zest, chives and most of the dill. Add a little more water or stock if necessary to loosen the risotto.