Risotto with Bacon and Spicy Greens

This was the most delicious dinner I've made in a while.  Of course, I am biased toward any dish that includes bacon, but the flavor combination of the creamy risotto, spicy rainbow chard, and crispy smoky bacon was absolutely amazing.  It's relatively simple though not a quick dinner to make, but the time spent is well worth it.  This was also a great opportunity to use the beautiful cast iron dutch oven that Sean refinished a couple weeks ago!  It has a thick bottom and keeps an even temperature which is great for cooking risotto. I doubled the original recipe, which came from Serious Eats and made a few slight changes as well.  I already can't wait to make this again!

Ingredients:

• 5 slices thick-cut bacon
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 bunch rainbow chard
• 1 large onion, half thinly sliced and half diced (or two small onions)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
• 2 fresh plum tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions:
Fry the bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Remove from pan to a paper-towel lined plate and crumble it when it has cooled off.  Drain all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease- setting the remainder to the side.  

Add the sliced onions to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add two cloves worth of minced garlic and the chile flakes and saute for 2-3 minutes longer. Core the tomatoes and cut them into wedges and place them in the pan.  They will break down after a few minutes and you'll be able to break them up with your spatula.  

Next, add your washed, chopped chard in two batches, letting the first batch wilt in the pan before adding the second. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper as it is cooking.  You can add about 1/4 cup of chicken stock to help the greens wilt if needed.  Saute the greens on low heat for about 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and leave covered until ready to serve.  

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a pot until it comes to a near boil.  Cover and turn off.  

In a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat two more tablespoons of the bacon grease.  Cook the chopped onion over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add the remaining garlic and cook 2 minutes longer.  Pour in the rice stir until all the grains are coated.  Let it toast, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes  Next, pour in the wine with 3/4 teaspoon salt.  Stir and let the wine reduce.  Raise heat to medium, add one cup of stock, and let it absorb into the rice.  

Turn the heat back down to medium-low and continue adding stock, one cup at a time, waiting for the previous cup to absorb before adding the next. Stir frequently.  Taste it every once in a while after the first few cups to make sure you don't add too much liquid.  You may not need all of the stock.  Once it has reached the right consistency- soft but still has a bite to it- stir in the Parmesan cheese and taste for more salt.  It should be mild and creamy.  

Scoop risotto into bowls, and top with greens and crumbled bacon.  The liquid from the greens mixes in with the risotto giving it a delicious flavor.  And of course the bacon adds a salty and savory element tying the whole dish together.  

Yummmm!! This is so good!

Scallops with Lemon Asparagus Risotto

Scallops are a special treat for us, mainly because they are so expensive, and you never know how fresh they are when you get them at the grocery store.  With a few more $25 off coupons to use with Arganica (organic food delivery service) I didn't feel so bad about spending $16 for a pound of fresh sea scallops.  One pound got us 18 scallops, ranging in size.  To go along with them, I wanted something that wouldn't out shine their fresh flavor, but still delicious in it's own right.  I decided on a lemon asparagus risotto that would be a creamy and bright contrast with the rich flavor of the scallops.   It was a great combination, the risotto was so good it could easily be a meal in itself.  But the scallops added another layer of decadence to the dish- they were amazing!  They got a nice brown sear using the cast iron skillet.  This isn't your average dinner... it takes time and special attention, but it is totally worth it in the end! 

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus

fresh sea scallops (the number is up to you... we did 10 for two servings but it was a lot)

3 T grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

2 shallots, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1 lemon, zested and juiced

6 cups low sodium chicken or seafood stock

1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Wash the asparagus, trim off the tough ends, and cut the stalks into 2 inch pieces.  Heat the chicken or seafood stock in a medium pot  with 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil.  Blanch the asparagus in the boiling stock for about 2 minutes, and drain it with a slotted spoon.  Set it to the side. Turn off the heat and leave the stock covered so it will be hot for the risotto.

In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and add the shallots and a sprinkle of salt.  Saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft and translucent.  Add the rice, and stir until all of the grains are coated in oil.  

Let it toast for a couple minutes, and then add the wine and stir, turn heat to medium-low.  Add half of the lemon juice to the mixture.  Once the wine has completely evaporated, begin adding the stock, one ladle-full at a time.  

Stir the risotto frequently.  Once each ladle-full of stock has been absorbed by the rice, you know to add another one.  Continue adding stock and stirring until the risotto is al dente.  I used just about all 6 cups of stock.  You may need slightly more or less to reach your desired consistency.  (Use water if you run out of stock).  The risotto should be very creamy- if it is a little stiff, just add a bit more of the stock to loosen it up.  It takes about 25-30 minutes to reach this final stage.  

Stir in the cheese, lemon zest, and asparagus.  Taste for salt and pepper. 

When your risotto is about 5-7 minutes away from being done, begin cooking the scallops.  Pat them dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.  Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Turn it down to medium right before placing the scallops in.  Let them sit without touching for about 3-4 minutes.  

Carefully check to see if they are brown on the bottom before flipping.  Cook the other side for about 2 minutes and they should be done.  

Remove from the pan, and serve over a mound of risotto with some extra cheese and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  This combination of flavors is so amazing- enjoy!

Carrot Orange Risotto

I came across this recipe on Serious Eats Photograzing, and realized that it was actually from a Dutch blog.  It sounded so unique and I really wanted to try it, so I translated the recipe to English.   Almost all of the ingredients were things I'd never considered using in risotto - shredded carrot, carrot juice, orange zest, orange juice, beer, different cheeses, and finally crushed hazelnuts as a garnish.  We made a few minor changes and overall it was a success.  The different flavors really come through and you can taste them all individually, while they still make a rounded dish together.  It is on the sweet side, but balanced by the creamy cheese and smoked paprika. 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (about 250 g) arborio rice (or other short grain rice, we used sushi rice because it was all we had on hand)

1 large onion, finely diced

1 t salt

2 T butter 

2 t ground coriander

1 cup dark or amber lager

2 cups shredded carrot

1 1/2 cups carrot juice (we found it in the fresh juice and protein drink section at the store)

1 large orange, zested and juiced

3-4 cups chicken broth

6 oz goat cheese, cut into small pieces

1 cup Pecorino cheese, grated

1/2 t smoked paprika

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-heat.  Saute the onion in the butter, with the salt and coriander, for about 5-7 minutes until softened.  Add the rice and toast it for 3 minutes longer. Add the shredded carrot and stir to combine.  Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat the carrot juice, orange juice, and chicken broth until hot, but don't bring to a boil.

Pour the beer in, and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the pan.   Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. 

Begin adding the juice and broth mixture to the pot, about one cup at a time.  Stir often, until the liquid has been absorbed, and proceed with the next cup of liquid.  Continue this process until your risotto is creamy and cooked to al dente.  You may or may not need to use all of the liquid to reach this consistency, and it should take about 20 minutes.

Stir in the Pecorino cheese, orange zest, and smoked paprika.  Evenly distribute the pieces of goat cheese into the pot and stir, leaving little pockets of goat cheese throughout.  Serve with more grated Pecorino and the crushed hazelnuts.