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.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

As we are quickly nearing the end of prime Rhubarb season, I wanted to share this amazing pie recipe.  If you're skeptical of Rhubarb, you shouldn't be.  It's absolutely yummy.  Though it looks just like red celery (the brighter the red, the better) - it's actually crisp and tart like a granny smith apple.  I wouldn't reccomend eating it raw, rather adding it to crumbles, pies, compotes, etc. is the way to go. 

Strawberries and rhubarb is a classic combination of tart and sweet and they are both in peak season late spring/early summer. Look for both at your local farmer's market.

Ingredients:

1  nine inch pie crust  (2 if you prefer a crust top to a crumble top)

Filling:
3 1/2 cups of rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4 large stalks)
3 1/2 cups of strawberries- hulled and halved (1 container)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of cold butter, cut into cubes

First- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  To assemble filling, stir everything but the fruit together in a bowl.  Then pour the mixture over the fruit in a larger bowl.  Gently toss to coat.

Second- make the crumble topping.  I do this in my standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to save time.  Combine all ingredients in the mixer and mix on low speed until combined and crumbly in consistency.  If you let it go too long it will turn to dough.

Third- line your nine inch pie plate with your pastry dough.  (I use Pillsbury's refrigerated dough regularly to save time.)  Press it into the dish and crimp the sides before transferring the filling. 

Top the filling with the crumble mixture and place the pie on a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy clean up.  (The pie might ooze juices as it bakes.)

Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another hour to 75 minutes until the filling is bubbly and thickened.

Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite vanilla ice cream.  I happen to know that the left over pie is delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee as well. 

Strawberry and Cream Muffins

I wanted to share a recent blog post of my dear friend Morgan Jane. These heavenly looking Strawberry and Cream mini muffins are next on my list of Spring recipes to try. Yummm...

Strawberries and Cream Crepes

I have some great Valentine's Day desserts to share this week in preparation for your romantic dinners at home. First up- my Mom's strawberry crepes. This is a great make-ahead recipe for an impressive dinner party, a brunch gathering, or a quiet night at home with a special someone. The strawberry cream filling is absolutely amazing but you can mix it up with variations such as my Nutella banana crepe below. (I like to eat left overs the next morning with some melted butter and maple syrup!) The recipes here for the crepes and the filling below serves up to 8 people. The crepe batter itself is assembled in the blender and requires an hour to rest before you cook them. I used an Alton Brown recipe featured on foodtv.com- adding some sugar per the sweet variation. When it comes time to cook them, I use a small to medium sized non stick skillet over medium/medium high heat. It might take one or two to get the hang of it but you'll hit stride from there. I find that brushing the pan with a small amount of melted butter every second or third crepe is all that you need to keep it from sticking. I pour directly from the blender into the pan, maybe a scant 1/8 of a cup per crepe. Pour and then immediately swirl the batter so that it coats the whole pan. It should be just enough batter to barely cover. As Alton suggests, cook the first side for about 30 seconds, and then flip to cook the underside for about 10 second. You can then slide them out of the pan onto a board to cool before stacking on a plate. Once completely cooled, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. (They keep well for a day or two.)

The Strawberries and Cream Filling 8 ounces of cream cheese- softened (the third less fat variety works great)

8 ounces of sour cream- (light is also fine here)

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

At the last minute:

1 cup of whipping cream

3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

2 pints of fresh strawberries, sliced Mix together with a hand or standing mixer until well blended and lump free. You can refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to serve or even over night. When ready to assemble, set the filling out to soften while you whip the cream with a three tablespoons of powdered sugar until light and fluffy. You could add a splash of Cointreau or Framboise for a little extra something special. I fold about half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese filling along with all but one cup of the sliced strawberries. (Save those for garnish.) Working directly on the dessert plate, put a heaping spoonful of the filling down the center of the crepe and roll it up, tucking the seam side down. I typically serve two per person (though plan on a few extra!)- topping them with some of the extra whipped cream, a few sliced strawberries - and perhaps a dusting of powdered sugar.

They are like sweet fluffy pillows of yumminess. Delicous served with a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. Another one of my all time favorite crepe variation entails simply a generous schmear of Nutella and some sliced bananas- maybe some toasted chopped hazelnuts if you want to get fancy. Another dessert stunner but also great for breakfast if you're a sweets-a-holic like me.

Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta

The minute the May issue of Bon Appetit hit my front door step, I had a hankering for the cover recipe for Fettucine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta. Mind you mine wasn't nearly as beautifully plated or photographed, but it certainly was delicious.

Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine, also found on Epicurious.com: •12 ounces fettuccine or penne •3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped •1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces •2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw) •1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts •2 garlic cloves, pressed •1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving •1/3 cup heavy whipping cream •3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil •3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice •1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel •1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided •1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided *I also added two or three large handfuls of fresh baby spinach as well. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, baby spinach, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese. Though the sauce had some heavy cream it in, the acidity of the lemon and the freshness of the herbs really lightened up the flavors. Using the pasta cooking water is a great way to avoid using much cream to get a silky sauce.

I had thin pancetta slices from the deli counter. It still crisped up nicely however I would have preferred to have heartier pieces. If you can get a solid chunk that can be diced into cubes, you'd probably get more flavor and better texture.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble is a classic spring/summer dessert that I've always wanted to try. I love crumbles of almost any variation and the sweet-tart combination of strawberries and rhubarb is absolutely wonderful. If you don't cook with it, Rhubarb stalks look similar to pink/red celery and they have a tart crispness similar to apples. I don't recommend eating it raw by any means but it bakes up beautifully in desserts. You can find it in the produce section of almost any grocery store. I found this recipe at the very end of last month's Bon Appetit magazine and decided to give it a try. I halved the recipe, using a smaller (8x8 would be ideal) square glass baking dish instead of a 9x13. First I preheated the oven to 375. Then I cleaned and sliced the fruit (2 cups strawberries, halved and approx 4 stalks of rhubarb, cut in half length wise and the into 1/2 inch pieces) and tossed it with 1/4 cup of sugar that I'd mixed with the seeds of half a vanilla bean.

I set the fruit aside while I made the crumble topping: 1/2 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Scant 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats 1/4 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted , coarsely chopped 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour small pinch of salt

I mixed it all together in my standing mixer with the paddle attachment until it started resembled a struesel texture (about 4 minutes on a medium-low speed.)

I poured first the fruit into the baking dish sprayed lightly with Pam and then sprinkled the topping over. I baked it in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes until the topping was barely golden brown and juice at the edges of the pan were bubbling.

I served it still warm with a generous scoop of John's favorite Mayfield Vanilla Ice Cream and it was fantastic. The filling was the perfect blend of sweet and tart, complimented nicely by the crunchy topping. The added flavor from the hazelnuts really made it. So yummy...

We ate left overs for a day or two and I'd venture to say it doesn't keep much longer than that in the fridge- it starts to get a little soggy...

Dinner for One: Chicken Paillard with English Peas, Asparagus and Arugula

Friday night dinner was a little bit lonely last week as John didn't make it home but I decided to enjoy it nonetheless. There is something cathartic about ending the week in the kitchen, preparing a simple but satisfying meal while sipping on a glass of wine... even if you're flying solo. I started with a fresh organic chicken breast from Whole Foods and pounded it to about 1/2 inch thickness between two sheets of plastic wrap. I use a rolling pin to do this- careful to keep an even thickness and to avoid tearing the chicken. I then seasoned it with salt and pepper and coated it lightly with flour. I cooked the chicken over medium-high heat in a mixture of butter and olive oil until crispy brown- about 4 minutes per side.

I set the chicken aside on a plate, tented with foil to keep warm, while I prepared the vegetables. I decided on fresh English peas and Asparagus at Whole Foods- two quintessential Spring ingredients. Every cooking magazine that I open this month is teeming with recipes for dishes centered entirely around spring green vegetables. I grabbed two large handfuls of peas (still in in the pods) and one bunch of asparagus. If you've never purchased them fresh before, the peas look like super-sized sugar snap peas. The pods are very easy to pop open along the seam and then you run your finger through to pop the peas out. I steamed them in a covered pot, with a barely a centimeter of water, over medium heat until they were tender, 2-3 minutes max- draining and rinsing with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Meanwhile I trimmed the woody ends off of the asparagus and then sliced them into half inch pieces on the diagonal. (I only used about 2/3 of the bunch.) In the same pan that I'd used to for the chicken- the pan dripping add flavor- I drizzled a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium high heat. I then added one clove of garlic- minced- and the asparagus pieces, tossing to coat. The asparagus wasn't super thin but it only took 3-4 minutes of sautee-time before it was crisp-tender. Next went in the peas, zest of about half a lemon, some salt and pepper and a little pat of butter at the very end. I didn't have any fresh mint on hand but that would have been an excellent addition- a very classic flavor compliment to fresh peas- fresh basil would be great too.

I served the chicken warm, not necessarily hot, alongside a generous pile of sauteed veggies and topped everything with a pile of arugula salad: I combined one heaping cup of arugula, juice of half a lemon, drizzle of olive oil and tiny pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl, tossing to dress the greens.)

The lemony dressing on the greens picked up the zest in the vegetables, adding a nice zing to the dish. The sweetness of fresh peas doesn't even compare to that of frozen ones and the asparagus has noticeably more flavor at this time of year in particular. Not to mention the organic chicken actually tastes like CHICKEN which is a very different experience as compared to your average grocery store variety.

I picked up a bottle of ShooFly Buzz Cut white wine from Australia at Whole Foods as well. I keep seeing it everywhere so I decided to give it a try. Priced at only $9 I was very pleasantly surprised to find it was quite tasty and a perfect compliment to the dish. This very well could be a new staple for summer 2010. The winemaker's notes read as follows:

A lush blend of juicy, tropical Verdelho and exotically perfumed Viognier combine with Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling to create a refreshing, firmly structured wine. Rich and vibrant flavors of tropical fruit, apricot, and grapefruit work wonders on the palate. Drink now or hide in the cellar for 3 years.