When you're in the mood for a savoury treat, risotto makes the best base for pretty much anything you can think of. I would bet that most often the best bet is a shellfish of some sort; mainly scallops and/or shrimp. While rich in protein, a meal like this is certainly heavy on the calories and fat, but hey, you have to treat yourself... you can't be good all the time.
BRAD'S CREAMY RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP
1 cup Aroborrio rice; 2 3/4 cups hot chicken stock; 1 cup wild mushrooms quartered; 1/2 finely chopped red onion; 2 cloves minced garlic; 300-400 grams of medium uncooked shrimp (deveined, peeled, tail off); coarse salt and fresh pepper; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; olive oil; Parmesean; white wine
The two keys to a good risotto are patience (i.e., not walking away from the pan), and hot stock.
Bring the chicken stock to a steam in a sauce pan next to a large grill pan or wok. Melt butter in the pan with a small splash of olive oil (just until light smoke) and then sauté the onion until very soft, seasoning with a bit of salt. Add the rice and stir to cover in oil (add a little more if necessary) and then add a large laddle of the stock. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly. Stir until stock reduces and then add another large laddle and repeat until stock is almost used up and rice is tender (TIP: if rice is still firm, finish the process off using hot water so it doesn't become too salty from too much stock). Add mushrooms, garlic, shrimp and a splash of white wine, and continue stirring while adding liquid until shrimp are cooked and liquid is absorbed. The risotto should have the texture of molten lava - if it's stands like oatmeal, add more liquid and stir. At the end, add a large handful of Parmesean cheese and some fresh pepper. Serve immediately.
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