Pan seared shrimp and arugula risotto

I look at risotto as a dish reserved for special occasions. I've only prepared it once just because it's time-consuming, but after being disappointed several times at restaurants, I just decided to make it myself. Boy am I glad I did because the end result was yum-yum delicious!

Pan-Seared Shrimp and Arugula Risotto

Recipe from Cooking Light

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 cup chopped shallots

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup uncooked Carnaroli or Arborio rice or other medium-grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tbsp butter

3 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Add shrimp to pan; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup stock, cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absored, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in shrimp, cook 1 minute or until done. Stir in cheese, butter, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and remaining 1/8 tsp pepper. Remove from heat; stir in arugula and basil.

Nutritional Analysis:
per serving (1 cup): 344 calories, 13.4g fat (4.8g saturated, 1.5g polyunsaturated, 5.8g monounsaturated),  30.3g carbohydrates, 1.9g fiber, 26g protein

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Risotto is a slow cooking process that needs attention so make sure to divert yourself from the tv!

In order to prepare risotto you need the right kind of rice aka medium-grain rice such as Arborio (the most commonly used grain). The reason why you want to use medium-grain as opposed to long-grain gets scientific but basically medium-grain allows the rice to soften more and thicken the sauce more than long-grain. 

The recipe calls for shallots but I used onions since I have a surplus in my kitchen. Generally speaking, shallots are milder and sweeter in taste than onions.

Now it's time to start cooking! After you sauteed the shallots (or onions in my case) and garlic, add the rice and cook for 1 minute in order to toast the grain.

I cook my risotto in a wide shallow pan rather than a pot because the rice can cook more evenly. In a pot, the rice on the bottom of the pot cooks faster than the rice on top, requiring you to constantly stir the grain while cooking. By using a pan, the rice can spread out in a layer and allow more even cooking. 

Since the liquid evaporates more quickly in a wide shallow pan, once the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking.

I made half the recipe (3 servings as opposed to 6) and found that I had to add more stock. I had only heated what I needed so I poured the extra stock right into the risotto without heating it first. The result? It simply took a little longer to heat up the stock but it didn't affect the risotto itself. 

Look at the difference in the color of the rice after it's cooked! It's developed a nice brown color and richness. Remember to taste your risotto to see if you need to add more stock. 

Mmmm! This risotto was creamy, perfectly seasoned, and full of shrimp! I loved the addition of the arugula and basil, helping balance the more heavy qualities of the rice. My risotto took closer to 35 minutes to fully cook but it was entirely worth it. I let it cook longer because the rice was not yet ready; don't rush the process! If your rice is still not done in 25 minutes, just let it sit longer and add more stock if necessary. Trust me, you'll be glad at the end.