Dungeness Crab Risotto

A trip up to Whidbey Island this past week brought us home with a bagful of freshly caught Dungeness crab and fresh English shelling peas.  Thanks to salmon heads and turkey legs for bait, and a good pot drop, we hauled in plenty of crab to feast on.  And thanks to the Bayview Farmer's Market, I found, to my surprise, what may be the last fresh English peas of the season.  Armed with both, I received the request from the kids to have crab risotto.

For the risotto:
1 Large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup carnaroli rice
2 Tablespoons olive oil1/3 cup dry white wine
4-6 cups chicken stock, heated to simmer
1/4 cup mascarponi cheese
1/2 cup freshly shelled English peas
1 heaping cup of fresh dungeness crab meat at room temp
White truffle oil to finish

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and sauté until translucent.  Add the risotto and saute until the rice is well incorporated and starting to make a slight whistling/crisping sound.  Deglaze with the white wine and simmer until wine is almost completely evaporated.  Begin adding the chicken stock, enough each time to just cover the rice.  Stir once and let simmer until the stock is almost completely evaporated.  Then add more stock.  Continue this process until rice is al denté.  
Meanwhile, blanche the peas in boiling, salted water for 90 seconds.  Drain and shock with ice water.Once rice is cooked, add mascarpone and another 1/2 cup of stock.  Stir until well combined.  
Add 1/4 cup of the crab meat  and the peas and stir in to incorporate. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Serve the risotto with a drizzle of white truffle oil then topped with more dungeness crab.
Fabulous!