Spring Has Sprung!

It definitely is Spring here in Charleston! It was a gorgeous weekend. We went to a beautiful wedding and have lots to celebrate around here :)
Our Sunday meal this week was Springtime Risotto-aka Risotto with Asparagus and Scallops. It's a beautiful dish to impress your guests.
I'll be the first to admit that the first time I made risotto I was daunted. Hopefully, this recipe will show you that risotto can be easy! Prepping all ingredients before getting into making the risotto can be really helpful and make you much less stressed.
And with that...

Springtime Risotto!

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (about a pound)
1 pound scallops (fresh or if frozen, thawed. If anyone cares, I used frozen because they were on sale. Boom.)
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp margarine
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 32-ounce box of chicken stock, about 4 cups
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Step 1: Prep your asparagus
Break off the woody ends of the asparagus. Depending on the crop, this might be a centimeter up to a couple of inches. The general rule is the larger in diameter the asparagus, the more you'll have to take off the bottom.
Chop the asparagus into one-inch bite size pieces.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have an ice water bath ready. Blanche the asparagus for two minutes and immediately remove to the ice water bath. This keeps the asparagus from overcooking and gives it its vibrant green color. Beautiful! Drain the asparagus from the ice bath once it's cooled.

Step 2: Prep your scallops
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Spread your scallops on a cookie sheet and coat with a little bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 6-10 minutes, depending on how thick your scallops are. They'll be done when they are opaque.
If you have the larger variety of scallops (usually sea scallops, as opposed to bay scallops), after they are cooked cut them into bite size pieces.

Step 3: Simmer your broth
Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. You'll want to keep it at this simmer for the duration of making this risotto

Step 4: Make sure everything else is prepped
Make sure your shallot is chopped, your arborio rice is measured, as well as your wine. And while you're at it, pour yourself a glass.

Step 5: The risotto, it's about freaking time

•  Melt 3 Tbsp of margarine in a large pan. Saute the shallots for two minutes or until tender. 
• Add the rice and stir for two more minutes, until evenly coated.
• Pour in the wine, stirring until almost absorbed.
• At this point, begin adding the simmering stock about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir each addition until almost completely absorbed. Basically, you should be stirring the whole time. If you have a helper, it helps a lot (doesn't that make sense??)

My Helper :)

• By the time you've added the four cups of stock, the risotto should be tender but firm to the bite.

Yum. In my mouth.

• Note: You may need a little bit more or less stock. I've always used four cups but hey, stuff happens. You can always add reserved asparagus cooking water or plain water. 
• Gently stir in the last tsp of margarine, Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper. 
• Fold in the asparagus and the sea scallops. Enjoy! We serve it as a main course but it could always be used as a side. This recipe serves about 4 people.
• One last thing: this can just be made with asparagus or any other vegetable you like for a tasty vegetarian meal! That was actually the original recipe...

Happy Monday!
Anna