Seafood Risotto

Wow. That's all I can say about this seafood risotto. Wow. I'm not going to lie - this is a very time consuming dish to make with a fair amount of grunt work, but it's truly worth it in the end. Think of risotto as a restaurant dish? Think again and make it at home and watch the faces of your diners in delight.

Not entirely sure what this is? Risottos are essentially rice dishes. They are made with very short-grained rice, such as Arborio, and are slow-cooked and allowed to soak up liquids over a long period of time. And they soak up enormous amounts! In the end this provides a creamy texture that literally melts in your mouth. I chose to pair this one with a simple salad to allow the risotto to take the spotlight. So grab your apron and start stirring!

Seafood Risotto
Ingredients:
Olive oil
shrimp, peeled and deveined
scallops
onion
garlic
uncooked Arborio rice
white wine
chicken or vegetable broth
cherry tomatoes
goat cheese
black pepper

Add a small amount of olive oil (1 tsp at most) to a pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and scallops. I would pull the tails off the shrimp before adding them but you can choose not to do this if you prefer. I do not like tails in my cooked dishes but some people prefer it that way. Cook the shrimp and scallops for about 5 minutes, stirring and flipping a couple times, or until they are cooked. The shrimp should now be pink and a solid colored white. Place the shrimp and scallops to the side.

Keeping your pan over medium heat add another tsp of olive oil. Add diced onions - about 1 large Vidalia onion or 1- 1.5 cups. Stirring regularly cook the onions for about 5-7 minutes or until soft. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic. Stir and cook another 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of uncooked rice. And let's pause - 1 cup of uncooked rice will make enough food for 3 hungry people or 4 light eaters. Trust me! It expands A LOT. Please keep that in mind when figuring out if you need to change the amounts in this recipe.

Cook the rice for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3/4 c. white wine. Stir often and let the rice cook until it has completely absorbed the liquid. This should take about 5 minutes but keep stirring and watching in case it is faster or slower.

Once the wine is absorbed turn your attention to the broth. You'll use 4 cups in all, working with 1/2 cup at a time. Add 1/2 cup once the wine is absorbed. Stir frequently and cook the rice until it has completely absorbed the liquid. Once it has, add another 1/2 cup of broth. This is where patience and constant stirring/watching is required. Do not let the tedium get to you or you will destroy this absolutely delicious meal! You do not have to stir every second, but should be stirring very frequently. Make sure to look carefully and not add the next 1/2 cup of broth until the previous is fully absorbed - it really will absorb all of it. But, do not overcook the rice by continuing to let it cook once the broth is absorbed. Basically, don't watch Mad Men as you're making this or something will surely suffer....!

As soon as the last half cup is absorbed add in the shrimp, scallops, 3 ounces of goat cheese, black pepper, and 1/2 - 3/4 cup of halved grape tomatoes. Stir until all of the new additions are mixed in and the cheese has melted and is evenly distributed. If you buy a goat cheese log cut it up and sprinkle it in when you add it to the risotto; in this form it should melt very quickly. You should not cook these additions for more than 1-2 minutes at the most.

Remove the risotto from the stove and enjoy! And enjoy. And enjoy. Because trust me, your stomach will be stuffed and this will be amazing.