The Gift of Food

By now, you know that I love nothing more than cooking a meal for my friends and family. Whenever we have guests coming over, I ask about dislikes, preferences, diet restrictions, and allergies.

While sometimes I joke that I am "gluten intolerance intolerant," I know that there are people who really cannot tolerate gluten in any form. Or dairy. Or any number of other ingredients. 

Heck - I, myself, can't eat garlic. That usually sends most every host or hostess into a panic. I think they would rather attempt a meal without gluten!

When someone has a dislike, an allergy, or a dietary preference, I just want them to be honest and tell me. I am happy to make them something that will make them happy. In the end, that's what makes me happy.

Allergic to bivalves? I will do some research to make sure I know what is - or isn't - a bivalve. Hate Brussels sprouts? No worries - I won't make them for you and try to convince that mine are different (and that you will love them). If you want to avoid carbs to lose weight, I am happy to cook with nary a carbohydrate in sight. Just tell me.

Recently, our friend Sara was going through a slew of dietary tests to identify a problem she had been having. When we invited her to dinner she balked, saying she didn't want to have us deal with her long no-no list.

Thanks to Jennifer and Pat for the wonderful lobster & crab towels!

I told her I would love the challenge. And this risotto is the result. Never mind what is not in the recipe; the ingredients in it are delicious. I can't wait to make it again.

~ David

Risotto ai Frutti di Mare

6 cups shrimp or fish broth *

olive oil

6 large sea scallops, quartered

32 small-medium shrimp, fully peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 lobster tails (optional), cut in half lengthwise.

1 large shallot, minced

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1 cup moscato (Chardonnay works well, too)

2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, or more to taste

finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon 

Bring stock to a simmer on the back burner.

Heat a skillet over medium high and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the scallops and shrimp and sauté, stirring, until opaque. This will take just a few minutes. Stir in the paprika and cook 30 seconds. Scrape seafood into a bowl and set aside. Err on undercooking the seafood, as it will cook more later. Do not clean the skillet.

If using the lobster tails, place the halves, cut side down, on an oiled cookie sheet and broil for 4-5 minutes until the shells are bright orange-red. Remove from the broiler and let cool. Once cool, carefully remove the par-cooked meat in one piece and place in the skillet used for the shrimp and scallops; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large kettle over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened and clear. Add rice and increase heat to medium-high. Sauté until rice is opaque but not browned. Add the moscato and stir until reduced and spoon leaves a trail when dragged through the rice. Add a ladleful (1/2 cup) of shrimp broth and continue stirring until, once again, liquid is reduced and the spoon leaves a trail. Continue adding broth and stirring until you have but 1/2 cup broth left. Add the tomatoes, tarragon, and lemon zest.

Reheat the shellfish skillet to medium-high, drizzling the lobster tails with a little olive oil. Sauté the lobster tails for 1-2 minutes until done.

Add the scallops and shrimp to the risotto along with the final 1/2 cup broth. Continue stirring, but do not cook until the spoon leaves a trail. You want the risotto to be al ondine – “to the wave” - when you serve it, as it will thicken as it cools slightly upon serving.

Divide among four large flat bowls and top each portion with half a lobster tail. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course. Alternatively, this quantity will serve 8 as a first course - the lobster tails can be chopped and divided among the 8 portions.

* Whenever I buy shrimp, I place all the uncooked shells in a re-sealable bag and keep it in my freezer. In addition to the shrimp shells, I also add pieces of shallot, onion, carrot, celery, and fennel. Then, when I need shrimp stock, I fill a saucepan with these frozen shells and vegetables, and add water, a little white wine, salt, peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves, and a few sprigs of thyme, and then boil it down. Generally, if I need 4 cups of broth, I add a couple of extra cups of liquid and reduce it to the 4 cups I need. This ensures the concentration of the flavors. Simply strain and use as needed.