Leek and Asparagus Risotto with Seared Scallops and Meyer Lemon

If I had to proclaim a "specialty" in the kitchen, it would likely be risotto.  It is a family favorite therefore I've had plenty of practice to refine my method.  Risotto is incredibly versatile- you can dress it up in a number of different ways.  It is wonderfully rustic and simple all by itself- a delicious vegetarian entree idea, however it also makes for an elegant accompaniment to your favorite seafood or protein.  I made this particular combination with friends a few months back and again for Father's Day. 

Serves 6 as a main course.

Ingredients:

18 large scallops

1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice

3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only

1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed

1 meyer lemon (regular lemon if you can't find one)

3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of white wine

6-8 cups chicken stock or broth

Prep ahead of time or before you start the cooking process:

*Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel

*Clean the asparagus and cut into half inch pieces

*Remove dark green parts of leeks, halve lengthwise and slice into half inch pieces.  Rinse well in bowl of water to remove any sand.  Dry on a paper towel.

*Zest and juice one meyer lemon.

The process of cooking the risotto takes 20-30 minutes.  Constant stirring is the trick to keeping it creamy so be prepared to man the stove for the last 30 minutes before serving (the scallops can be done first) or have a few friends handy to help stir and pour while you work on the scallops. 

Heat a skillet over medium-high/high heat.  Season the scallops with salt and pepper.  Sear them in a few tablespoons of olive oil for roughly 3 minutes a side.  The trick to perfectly seared scallops is to leave them alone.  Avoid the temptation to flip them or shuffle them around the pan.  This allows the sugars to caramelize creating a sweet and golden crust.  Remove from the pan and set on a plate tented with foil to keep them warm.

Look at these beautifully fresh scallops! They smelled so sweet and delicious that we sampled one "carpaccio" style with a drizzle of meyer lemon juice and a bit of zest. Yummm....



When you are ready to start the risotto, start with the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan or cast iron pot over medium heat.  Add the leeks and saute 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Next add the garlic and the rice and saute another 2 minutes until the rice looks almost translucent and barely golden.  (Don't let the garlic burn.) Then add the white wine and stir until almost entirely dissolved.

Now you begin with the chicken stock.  Some people will say you should warm the stock on the stove before you begin to add it but I've found that as long as its room temperature (and not cold) it works fine as is.  You add the stock 1/2 or 2/3 of a cup at a time, stirring constantly over medium heat.  As soon as the liquid looks almost totally absorbed, you add more stock.  You continue this until the rice is cooked and the mixture is creamy.

I added the asparagus as soon as the rice was getting close to tender.  When the rice and asparagus were just cooked through, I added the cheese, butter, lemon zest and basil with one more healthy splash of stock.  I removed the pan from the heat at this time.  (Once you've gently stirred it all together, check the consistency once more. You want it to appear a bit looser than you think it should be- add more stock if needed.  It will continue to set up as you serve it.)

My other important secret to luxuriously creamy risotto is serving it immediately- if you let it sit too long, the starches seize up and it becomes sticky.

Serve the risotto in a rimmed soup bowl and top with the scallops.  Drizzle some of the meyer lemon juice over the top.  You could garnish with some more fresh basil as well.  (Note my Scallops didn't get as brown as I would have liked in this case.)

For 45 minutes to an hour of effort, this meal is definitely a stunner.  Serve with your favorite side salad and a crisp white wine.  For Father's Day we celebrated with a bottle of Duckhorn Savignon Blanc from California which was just perfect.

Other delicious risotto ideas:

Mascarpone and porcini mushroom

Artichoke hearts and parmesan

Gorgonzola and crispy pancetta

Sun dried tomato and goat cheese

Once you've mastered the technique, you can experiment with the mix-ins to create dozens of great recipes.