~Amanda~
One of my favorite things to make is Risotto. It’s one of those coveted dishes that has a reputation for being so easy to mess up – have you seen Top Chef, risotto can ruin you on that show. But when done right, it can also make you a star. The technique is actually quite simple, you just have to have some time and patience to do it correctly – and maybe a nice big glass of crisp white wine to drink – and you will be rewarded with one of the most delicious foods in the world. A perfectly made risotto will be rich and creamy (but there’s no cream in it, that’s just the consistency you get from all the starches in the arborio rice coming out) and have a perfect toothsome texture – so funny story; I’ve used the word toothsome before but for some reason today I decided to google it because it sounded weird here and I wanted to make sure it was the right word to describe this yummy risotto. So I discovered that it is the right word, or at least one definition of it is; of palatable flavor and pleasing texture, that’s what this risotto is. But, it also can mean sexually attractive haha. So next time I want to tell my wonderful fiance how good looking he is, I’ll just say he’s toothsome… so weird, but so funny so I had to go off on that tangent and share it with you!
Anyways, back to the risotto! So to make a perfect risotto, you start by quickly toasting the arborio rice in some olive oil – and garlic for extra flavor. This step brings out just a little bit of nuttiness in the rice. Then you add in white wine and let it absorb into the rice and give it that amazing flavor while you can enjoy the aroma, I love the smell of sizzling wine in a pan. Now comes the tedious part, the addition of the broth. This is where patience and attentiveness are most important; you will add about a half a cup of broth to the pan at a time and then stir until it is almost completely absorbed by the rice, then repeat. The constant stirring is what helps the starches from the rice come out and give you that creamy texture – and by constant, I don’t mean you have to stir non-stop, but just at least 30 seconds every minute, let’s not be crazy here. The whole process of incorporating the broth should take about 20-25 minutes. If you don’t take enough time it means the heat is too high and your risotto won’t be cooked to the desired texture. If you take too long, you can end up with a too-thick and sticky risotto. That’s how you make a basic risotto, but for this recipe we’re adding in some Parmesan cheese and lemon juice to amp up the flavor – you’ll do this at the very end right before you’re about to serve it.
And now onto the scallops – I don’t think there is anything that pairs better with risotto (Lemony Parmesan Risotto to be exact) than seared scallops. Scallops are another food that seem to intimidate a lot of people, but just like the risotto, if you know the correct cooking method they are so easy to make! Jackie and I went to a seafood cooking class a few years ago and learned how to make the perfect seared scallop and ever since I have loved to make scallops at home and they turn out amazing – better than a lot of restaurants do them if I do say so myself. So what’s the trick?! A nice hot pan, the right oil, and very quick cooking time! You want to heat your oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Use an oil when a higher burning point so you can heat it very hot (good ones to use are safflower or grapeseed oil, but you can always use olive oil if you don’t have access to either of those). Then add in your scallops and cook the for about 2-3 minutes on the first side. The pan and oil should be hot enough that they immediately begin to sizzle and will be a deep golden brown within those 2-3 minutes. Flip them over and let them cook for only about 30 seconds on the other side and then immediately remove them from the pan. Searing one side is more than enough to cook them the perfect amount, if you cooked them any longer on the other side they would be overdone and tough. Simple enough, right?
And on to the final part of the dish – the spinach. I used to make my risotto for this dish with peas in it (thank you Ina Garten’s for that recipe I used for years), but let’s face it, I don’t love peas. So when I saw a version of parmesan risotto with sauteed spinach on Pinch of Yum, I knew that was something I had to try and I’ve been using spinach ever since. Sauteeing it in garlic adds so much more flavor and it goes so well with the creamy risotto and seared scallops – a perfect combination! Once you’ve finished making all the components of the dish, plate them up and enjoy… this meal is so decadent and something you’d definitely see in a fancy restaurant, but I find that it is so much more enjoyable to eat on a Sunday night on the couch while watching Funniest Home Videos with my wonderful FIANCE!
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups of chicken broth (+/- ½ cup)
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil (substitute grapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 pound jumbo scallops (small ones are fine too if you can’t find jumbo) - patted very dry
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute until fragrant and slightly golden. Add the rice and stir to coat with the garlic and olive oil and slightly toast the outsides, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir for about 1 minute until absorbed.
- Reduce the heat the medium-low and add the chicken broth ½ cup at a time, stirring between additions until mostly absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. This process should take about 20-25 minutes (take your time here, the small additions and constant stirring is what makes a deliciously creamy risotto).
- When the risotto is almost done, you can start cooking your scallops and spinach (see below) so everything finishes at the same time.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice to the risotto and stir.
- Serve topped with scallops and spinach.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
- Sprinkle the scallops with salt and place in pan with the oil (this should be hot and they should immediately start to sizzle).
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on how big they are, until they are golden brown then flip over. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds and then promptly remove from pan to serve.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute until fragrant and slightly golden. Add the spinach and toss with garlic and olive oil until wilted, this should only take about a minute.
- Top the Parmesan Risotto with your seared scallops and garlic spinach. Sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese and squeeze fresh lemon juice over top. Enjoy!
