Lemon Risotto w/ Arugula, Sweet Peas & Blackened Shrimp

Yup, here they are again................
................. all dressed up in new clothes!! We enjoyed the Blackened, Pan-Seared Shrimp from yesterday's post so much that I decided they needed another wardrobe! I served them yesterday as an appetizer, with a delicious Asian-inspired Marmalade Dipping Sauce, but today ............. well, today they're taking on a bit of an Italian flare. I'm serving them with a wonderful Lemon Risotto, which is the perfect mellow palate for these flavorful shrimp.

If you've never "done" risotto ............... don't be afraid of it. It just takes a bit of tending to, not much ................. you're in the kitchen anyway, so just keep an eye on it and give it an occasional stir. The results are spectacular for the small amount of effort; smooth, creamy,  rich, really unlike any rice you've ever tasted. There are a zillion different variations for risotto, but I chose a recipe for Lemon Risotto that I found on the Epicurious website - it looked like a winner ............. and it was!

If you look at recipe books or online, most risotto recipes call for adding the additional ingredients to the rice before serving. I think it's much prettier to keep them separate so I piled fresh arugula and sweet peas on top before adding the caramelized shrimp. The results were not only delicious but pretty too. My chief taste tester declared that this was "crazy good". Try it yourself, you'll see exactly what he's talking about!

Lemon Risotto w/ Arugula, Sweet Peas & Blackened Shrimp

Ingredients:
6-8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons butter
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice (arborio is a special rice used for risotto, don't try using any other type of rice, you will have inferior results - you can find arborio at most larger grocers)
½ cup dry white wine at room temperature. Use a good quality wine, if you don't drink, you can purchase wine in small bottles - just the right amount for cooking. Don't use cooking wine, it's usually a poor quality wine and generally too salty. If you're adamant about not purchasing wine, just skip it. Your risotto will still be delicious.
1 cup freshly grated, good quality Parmesan cheese, not the kind in the green container!
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 recipe Pan-Seared & Blackened Shrimp (see below)
2 cups fresh arugula
1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed and warmed

Directions:
1. Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm - this is an important part of making risotto, you don't want the broth to get cold, always keep it at a low simmer.

2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir occasionally for about 30 seconds, no longer, you don't want it to brown. Reduce heat slightly and add wine; stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds.

3. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring occasionally to keep rice from sticking. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring fairly frequently* until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Take a taste occasionally, rice should look nice and creamy but still be slightly al-dente.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Season risotto, if needed, with salt and pepper. Divided among 6 low bowls. Top with arugula and shrimp. Scatter with sweet peas. Sprinkle with more freshly shaved parmesan, if desired.

Note:
You really don't have to stand over the pot and stir continuously. My kitchen is small so I tend to other things, just being sure to stir well, about every minute or so. Also keep heat fairly low so that rice doesn't stick. You can always turn up the heat if it is taking too long but once the rice sticks to the pan (from a too hot burner), you end up with mushy rice, believe me, I've done it! :)

Adapted from Epicurious

Pan-Seared & Blackened Shrimp

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons granulated garlic
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound jumbo shrimp
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
1. For blackening rub, combine first seven ingredients and stir to thoroughly mix.

2. Coat shrimp with spice/herb blackening rub. You'll have more rub than you need for this recipe. Save the extra for grilled chicken, pork or seafood.

3. Combine butter and olive oil in a sauté pan. Heat over medium-high heat until hot and bubbly but not brown. Add shrimp and cook quickly, about 1-1 1/2 minutes per side, until blackened in patches. Remove from pan and serve warm over Lemon Risotto.

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