Lemon, Shrimp, and Parmesan Risotto
Ingredients:
Shrimp
½ pound of shrimp, peeled & deveined
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flake (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Risotto
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (yellow or white), medium to small dice
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1-2 tsp lemon zest (about one lemon’s worth)
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup arborio rice
½ cup white wine
¼ lemon juice (about one lemon’s worth)
4 cups chicken stock, simmered with shrimp tails
1 cup parmesan cheese
Yields 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Begin by cleaning your shrimp. For extra flavor, reserve the shrimp shells and tails and simmer them in your chicken stock. Toss the cleaned shrimp lightly in lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes for a kick. Let this marinade for a few minutes while finishing the mise en place.
Preheat a wide skillet (dutch oven ideally) over medium heat; we want maximum surface area for our risotto to cook in. Melt down a tablespoon of unsalted butter and cook the shrimp for one minute per side until pink. Be sure not to overcook them now as we’ll be finishing them in the risotto later. Remove the pink shrimp from the heat and reserve.
Melt down the remaining butter with the olive oil in the skillet. Carefully add your onions, and sweat and saute them until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Then add the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest. Allow these aromatics to cook for one minute until very fragrant. Add the arborio rice into the skillet and begin sauteing and toasting over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. If you notice a fond developing, this is a good sign that it’s time to deglaze.
Carefully add the white wine, stirring constantly to remove any fond from the bottom. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice, continuing to stir. Next, add one ladle of stock and stir for several minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the arborio rice begins to plump up. Continue this process, adding one ladle-full at a time, until 75% of the liquid is used (20 minutes or so). Use a spoon to check the doneness of the rice, keeping in mind that the heat should be at a constant medium; if the temperature is too high you risk the liquid evaporating rather than absorbing into the rice. If the rice is still too al dente, continue adding and stirring in the remaining stock until tender.
When the rice is your desired texture, add the shrimp back into the risotto and lightly envelope them to reheat through. Lower the heat and fold in the parmesan cheese until velvety smooth. Check for any additional seasonings if needed. Immediately serve warm with an extra sprinkle of cheese and parley, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a final pinch of kosher salt on top.
