Honeymoon Seafood Risotto.
My husband, Bob, and I were married in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine. Being a second marriage for both of us, we decided our ceremony would be private, just the two of us, our officiant, Barbara, and the two witnesses she brought with her. My brother, Dana, and his wife, Ellen, and my nieces, Alexa and Samantha, found a restaurant in Bar Harbor, McKay's, and gave us a gift certificate to use on our honeymoon. We decided what better way to honor that gift than by having our wedding day dinner there. I got Lobster Mac & Cheese and Bob got the Seafood Risotto. He loved it so much that I have made it every 20th of the month since. This of course is my version, tweaked from what I remember McKay's to be to a recipe I found of Emeril Lagasse's, my favorite celebrity chef.
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups seafood stock
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups Arborio rice
1 lb each bay scallops and medium shrimp
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1. In large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, salt, pepper and sugar, and saute 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and then add stock. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
3. Once the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat back to medium and boil for 6 minutes.
4. Add rice and cook, constantly stirring, for 12-15 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed.
5. Season your seafood with salt and pepper and even lemon juice if you'd like. Even seasoned salt is tasty.
6. Add seafood to the rice and cook 6 minutes.
7. Stir in cheeses, peas, butter and heavy cream. I have even added green onion here. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Experiment with the fish you use. Bob's dinner at McKay's also had lobster meat and I've also seen it done with chunks of haddock. If you don't like peas, substitute green onions. I have also used this same concept for risotto and done a vegetarian squash risotto that was wonderful!
