INGREDIENTS 🗒️ 4 large scallops 6 large shrimp, de-veined & butterflied 1 cup Arborio rice 1 L fish or light chicken stock 100mL white wine 1 small onion 3 cloves garlic 1/4 bulb fennel 1/4 tsp saffron 1/2 bunch chives 1 lemon 6 tbsp butter, diced Fine sea/kosher salt (to taste) 1 tbsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS 📝
1. Ideally 6-8 hours before cooking, remove your scallops from their packaging, pat them dry, and leave them uncovered in the fridge on a wire rack. 2. Grind your saffron into a powder, and place it on 2-3 ice cubes to bloom. Keep the ice at room temperature, and by the time your ice has melted, your saffron will have bloomed & will be ready to add to the risotto. 3. Heat your stock in a small sauce pot, and set aside to keep warm. Finely chop your onion, fennel, and garlic. 4. Add your fennel, onion & garlic to a medium pot with your olive oil, and sauté on medium heat until everything is slightly golden. Add your Arborio rice, and “toast” over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, and reduce until dry. You can now add your saffron (now suspended in water). 5. Start adding stock, one big ladle at a time, and allow the stock to be fully absorbed before adding your next ladle. While your stock reduces & gets absorbed by the rice, stir constantly. Stirring often will ensure your rice cooks evenly, and prevent it from sticking. Continue this process until risotto grains have approximately doubled in size, and still have a slight chew to them. The risotto is not done at this point – but we will pause here while we cook our scallops & shrimp. 6. Pre-heat a large, heavy-bottom pan (stainless steel or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Season your scallops & shrimp generously with salt. Be sure to give your pan some time – a good 60-90 seconds to properly pre-heat. When you add your oil to the pan, it should be just on the verge of smoking. Whichever side of your scallops is nicer (i.e. the “presentation side”), place that side of the scallop into the pan. 7. Gently press your scallops into the pan with a spoon to make sure they are in good, even contact with the pan. At this point, turn the heat of your pan down to medium. Let your scallops cook like this for 2-3 minutes. Do not touch the scallops! Let them develop a nice golden sear – unless you get the sense that they are starting to burn, in which case you can release them from the pan. You will know they are ready to flip when A) you see golden brown colour developing around the edge of your scallops, and B) the top of the scallops are slightly warm to the touch. 8. At this point, flip your scallops, and add 3 tbsp butter to the pan. Once the butter is foaming, start basting the butter over your scallops. Continue for 60-90 seconds, then remove your scallops from the pan. At this point, you can add your shrimp to the pan with the leftover foaming butter, and cook them for 1-2 minutes, or until the start to slightly curl up. 9. When ready to serve, add a half ladle of stock or two to loosen your risotto. You are now looking for that final, perfect al-dente texture. Your rice will be almost fully cooked through, except with the slightest bit of bite & chew to it. Remove risotto from the heat, and add 3 tbsp butter. Stir to emulsify. 10. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. You can also add a small squeeze of lemon juice.
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FULL RECIPE BELOW ⬇️
(Serves 2)
INGREDIENTS 🗒️
4 large scallops
6 large shrimp, de-veined & butterflied
1 cup Arborio rice
1 L fish or light chicken stock
100mL white wine
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 bulb fennel
1/4 tsp saffron
1/2 bunch chives
1 lemon
6 tbsp butter, diced
Fine sea/kosher salt (to taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS 📝
1. Ideally 6-8 hours before cooking, remove your scallops from their packaging, pat them dry, and leave them uncovered in the fridge on a wire rack.
2. Grind your saffron into a powder, and place it on 2-3 ice cubes to bloom. Keep the ice at room temperature, and by the time your ice has melted, your saffron will have bloomed & will be ready to add to the risotto.
3. Heat your stock in a small sauce pot, and set aside to keep warm. Finely chop your onion, fennel, and garlic.
4. Add your fennel, onion & garlic to a medium pot with your olive oil, and sauté on medium heat until everything is slightly golden. Add your Arborio rice, and “toast” over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, and reduce until dry. You can now add your saffron (now suspended in water).
5. Start adding stock, one big ladle at a time, and allow the stock to be fully absorbed before adding your next ladle. While your stock reduces & gets absorbed by the rice, stir constantly. Stirring often will ensure your rice cooks evenly, and prevent it from sticking. Continue this process until risotto grains have approximately doubled in size, and still have a slight chew to them. The risotto is not done at this point – but we will pause here while we cook our scallops & shrimp.
6. Pre-heat a large, heavy-bottom pan (stainless steel or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Season your scallops & shrimp generously with salt. Be sure to give your pan some time – a good 60-90 seconds to properly pre-heat. When you add your oil to the pan, it should be just on the verge of smoking. Whichever side of your scallops is nicer (i.e. the “presentation side”), place that side of the scallop into the pan.
7. Gently press your scallops into the pan with a spoon to make sure they are in good, even contact with the pan. At this point, turn the heat of your pan down to medium. Let your scallops cook like this for 2-3 minutes. Do not touch the scallops! Let them develop a nice golden sear – unless you get the sense that they are starting to burn, in which case you can release them from the pan. You will know they are ready to flip when A) you see golden brown colour developing around the edge of your scallops, and B) the top of the scallops are slightly warm to the touch.
8. At this point, flip your scallops, and add 3 tbsp butter to the pan. Once the butter is foaming, start basting the butter over your scallops. Continue for 60-90 seconds, then remove your scallops from the pan. At this point, you can add your shrimp to the pan with the leftover foaming butter, and cook them for 1-2 minutes, or until the start to slightly curl up.
9. When ready to serve, add a half ladle of stock or two to loosen your risotto. You are now looking for that final, perfect al-dente texture. Your rice will be almost fully cooked through, except with the slightest bit of bite & chew to it. Remove risotto from the heat, and add 3 tbsp butter. Stir to emulsify.
10. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. You can also add a small squeeze of lemon juice.