to add at the beginning in the manner of most risotti.
To make this dish, you cook a plain risotto in the usual way, starting with nothing but an onion soffritto and using a light chicken broth (if you’re new to risotto, see the post on the ABCs of making risotto). When the rice is almost cooked, you add peeled and deveined shrimp (small ones work best) and frozen peas. Allow them to cook for only a short while–no more than 3 or 4 minutes–and then you mantecare the risotto with a little bit of Philadelphia cream cheese. (Not parmesan, as in Italian cooking aged cheese and seafood don’t mix.)
NB: If using fresh rather than frozen peas, you should add them to the soffritto at the beginning in the usual way, then add the shrimp at the end. Do not use canned peas for this dish; they’re just too ‘mushy’ and will break apart as you stir the risotto.
Use small shrimp for this dish. If you only have large or jumbo shrimp on hand, then cut them into smallish, bite sized pieces.
Worth a try. It was a 'trick' that a friend from Milan told me about.
How interesting that you use cream cheese – I will try it.