Risotto Keeps Calling

I'm a big fan of risotto. It calls to me every time I open my cabinet.

I have to take control and not let it take over my meal planning. Not like I really plan my meals - it's more like I open the cabinet and fridge and hope for inspiration.

With a very hectic schedule, my days are quite busy and most often I'm too tired to cook a complicated meal. Hence my easy peasey recipes, and risotto takes the top spot quite often.

Risotto is a little bit time consuming but it can be made in 20 minutes and if you are good at multitasking you can prep other elements for your meal while you tend the risotto. Not a bad deal.

The recipe I use is from Lidia Bastianich. I follow her method but I use my favorite ingredients of the day for my risotto dish. Today it was shrimp. In the summer I often use grilled vegetables.

Risotto With Shrimp (adapted from Lidia Bastianich)

Ingredients
• 4 1/2 cups hot chicken or  vegetable stock
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced (about 3/4 cup)
• Roasted garlic (1 to 3 cloves according to taste)
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb. sauted shrimp
• fresh chopped basil
• fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Pour the stock into a 2-quart saucepan and keep it hot over low heat. (The liquid must be hot in order for the starch to be released to make the sauce creamy.)
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide 3 to 4 quart pan over medium heat then add in the onion, stirring occasionally until it is softened and translucent and just lightly golden and then add the roasted garlic.
3. Stir in the rice and continue stirring until the grains are coated with oil and “toasted” – the edges become translucent – 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the wine and let it boil, stirring the rice, until wine is evaporated.
5. Season the rice lightly with salt and ladle enough of the hot stock into the pan to barely cover the rice.   Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stock is at a lively simmer. Cook, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed and you can see the bottom of the pan when you stir.
6. Continue cooking the rice on simmer and pour in approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the hot stock -- each addition of the stock should be just enough to completely moisten the rice -- and then let the rice cook until each batch of stock has been absorbed.
7. Stir constantly until the rice mixture is creamy but al dente; this will take 16 to 20 minutes from the time the wine was added. When in doubt, undercook – risotto continues to cook, even after it is removed from the heat.
8. Taste the rice after the stock has absorbed to determine if the rice is al dente after about 15 minutes of cooking time.
9. Adjust the level of heat throughout cooking so the rice is simmering very gently.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter.   Add the sauted shrimp and the parsley and basil.  
11. Taste and season as needed.

I did not use cheese in this dish since I added shrimp. My side was steamed fresh green beans. I added some of the sauted onion from the risotto to the beans and dressed them with olive oil and salt and pepper. A light side dish that doesn't compete with the risotto.


I've shared this recipe with:

Full Plate Thursday

EKat's Kitchen





Mangia!
Winelady Cooks