What's For Dinner
October 17 2007
Dinner at Home: Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto
Don't run away just because it says "risotto"! It's not that hard - really. Just remember to take your time and that it's supposed to be a little runny. If it looks like paste - it's a little thick. If it looks like soup - it's a little thin.
For the risotto;
2-3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of finely chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 cup of arborio rice (this is important! and you can get it at any grocery store now)
1 ounce of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped finely
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of butter
salt
pepper
Pour the chicken stock into a pan and warm over low heat. Keep it warm while you make the rest of the items for the risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a deep sided pot or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Add the rice to the pan and stir so that it's coated with oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir some more. Add a 1/2 cup of the warm chicken broth to the rice pan and stir. Keep stirring until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup and keep stirring until absorbed again. Keep going until the rice is al dente. Al dente means a little hard but not crunchy in the middle. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes of stirring and adding broth to get there.
Once the rice is done to your liking, turn off the heat and move your pan off the burner. Add the cheese and stir it in. It will thicken up a little from the cheese. Add the butter and stir it in as well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately.
For the shrimp:
3/4 pound of peeled shrimp (local is best!)
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
Heat a sautee pan to medium heat. Toss the shrimp with salt, pepper, paprika, and the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic to the pan and stir for about a minute. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque and curled - about 5 minutes. Dont' over cook them! Serve them on top of the risotto.