I'm Back!

Was I missed or did no one realize that I was gone? Don't answer that. I went to visit some friends at the beach for a few days and before that I cooked some recipes that weren't really blog-worthy. But I promise to do better with keeping up now.

Last night, I made a risotto dish. I always feel a bit nervous when cooking risotto since it has to be closely monitored for it to turn out just right. But I have to say that this one turned out pretty good. I made the stock to cook it in as well as the garnish to go over the top. But the risotto was already flavorful from the stock that I think this dish would also be enjoyable without the shrimp or the gremolata.

Shrimp Risotto with Chive Gremolata 
Source: Cuisine At Home magazine

Shrimp Stock:

Shrimp shells (from 1 lb. shrimp)
2 cups water
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup leek greens, chopped
Dash of peppercorns
4 fresh parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves

Risotto:


2 Tbsp butter
1 cup leeks (white part), chopped
1 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 cup frozen peas
1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp parmesan, grated

Chive Gremolata:

3 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
2 Tbsp fresh chives or green onions if you can't find chives
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt

Steps for Gremolata:

Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. (About 5 minutes on medium-high heat). Drain bacon and mix with remaining ingredients. 

 Steps:

In a large pot, combine shells, water, broth, leek greens, peppercorns, parsley sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.  Strain stock and discard pieces. Return stock to pot on low heat.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook leeks for 2 minutes before adding the rice and cooking an additional 2 minutes. Don't let the rice burn!
Deglaze pan with sherry. Stir frequently until liquid evaporates.  Add 1/2 cup of the stock to the pan and stir until absorbed. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time until rice is cooked (about 25ish minutes). 
Stir in peas and shrimp until shrimp is pink and cooked. You may find it easier to cook the shrimp separately and then add it to the risotto instead. Season the risotto with the cayenne, nutmeg, and salt.
Take risotto off heat and mix in butter and parmesan.
Garnish with Gremolata.