Risotto with Asparagus and Edamame, with Scallops

For Little Scarlet’s first recipe posting, I’ve made one of my favorite foods - risotto. Risotto is a creamy labor of love - its cooking asks for constant attention and lots of stirring as the stock is slowly introduced to the Arborio rice. The stirring and slow addition of liquid releases the grain’s starch more slowly than with traditional rice cooking methods, and is exactly what makes risotto so creamy. That, and the butter and cheese added at the very end!

Risotto is a fabulous dish because you can add just about anything to it. Vegetables, meat/poultry, nuts, legumes, shellfish - you can even make dessert risottos. My recipe calls for asparagus and edamame, which I chose to top with some lemon-drenched scallops. The bright green of the asparagus really pops against the white rice, and the firm edamame is a nice textural contrast to the softer rice and scallops.

This is a pretty standard risotto recipe, and can be modified to include almost any other vegetable combination. Enjoy!

Risotto, serves 3

Directions:

Risotto:
½ lb asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup edamame (frozen or cooked)
4 cups chicken stock (or 1 cup white wine, 3 cups chicken stock)
2 tbsp olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Scallops:
4 sea scallops
1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter


Risotto:

1. Parboil the asparagus for about two minutes, until they’re just tender - they’ll finish cooking when you add them back to the risotto toward the end. Place these under cold running water to freeze their bright color and halt the cooking process.
2. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Cook the edamame right in the stock to give it the saltiness it needs and to pick up an extra bit of flavor - simmer for 4-6 minutes, until the edamame is firm to the bite, and then run under cold water.
3. While the edamame is cooking, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large, heavy pot. Add the onion, along with some salt and pepper, and sauté. Once the onions start to get soft, add the rice and stir so that all grains are well-coated in oil. Continue stirring until the rice is translucent with a white dot in the center of each grain. Add 1 cup white wine* (or 1 cup chicken stock), and stir until it has been completely absorbed.
4. Add the rest of the simmering stock one ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb the liquid before adding more. Take care to continue stirring so that the grains on the bottom of the pot don’t get scorched and the grains on top don’t dry out. Save about ¼ cup of stock to add at the end.
5. When the rice is almost tender (about 17-20 minutes), add the asparagus and edamame to the pot, along with a final ladleful of stock. Stir continuously until the vegetables are warm and the rice is al dente.
6. Remove from heat and add remaining ¼ cup of stock, along with 1 tbsp butter and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, as desired, and serve immediately.
   *If you don’t have wine on hand, you can use stock instead - it won’t quite taste the same, but leaving it out won’t ruin the dish, and it will still taste fantastic.
   

Scallops:
(coincide with Risotto’s Step 4, above)

1. Roll a lemon back and forth on the counter to loosen the pulp, which makes it easier to juice. Slice in half, and squeeze one half over the scallops. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and let rest for a few minutes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot enough, gently pat the scallops dry before adding to the pan.
3. Cook on high for about 1 minute, until a nice sear is beginning to form underneath. Turn the heat down to medium-high, and cook for about 4 minutes. If your pan is starting to look a little dry, this is a good time to add 1 tbsp butter and squeeze the remaining half lemon over the scallops. Turn them over once, and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
4. Arrange on top of freshly plated risotto. Serve immediately.

I hope you give this recipe a try and that you like it as much as I do. Feel free to play around with different vegetables, and please write in to let me know how it turns out!