After tasting Johan’s amazing “Paella” Risotto the other night, my son requested that I try to replicate it for dinner yesterday. The results met with the ultimate seal of approval: “Dad, this is awesome”…. So here is the newly crowned “Risotto Nicola”.
Mis en Place
1 cup arborio rice
24 oz. chicken broth
Half Vidalia onion, diced
3 slices thick cut bacon, cut into strips crosswise
3 hot Italian sausage links
About 20 shrimp, cooked, and diced (extra for garnish)
1 package brown crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
Brown the sausages separately, set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice crosswise and set aside. Warm the broth and sweat the onion in some olive oil until soft. Add the rice and toast for 20 seconds. Then add the diced tomato and start ladling in the broth 1 ladle at a time. Once the broth is absorbed, continue adding one ladle at a time. The rice will take about 30 minutes to cook over medium low heat.
About half way through, add the bacon and mushrooms. When there is about 10 minutes left, add the sausage and the shrimp so they warm through. Garnish with parsley or basil.
The tomatoes totally disentegrated and the rice took on a great smokey flavor from the bacon. The mushrooms added earthiness and the sausage gave the dish a tiny kick of heat. This was pretty darn tasty and took about 45 minutes to come together. (I had fresh, pre-cooked shrimp from the store)
Here’s the plated dinner:
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| Risotto Nicola |
May 18, 2012
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