seafood risotto for friends

I'm sure you know the story, which comes first, the chicken or the egg? And I'm not here to argue, but normally I create a dish and then write it down afterward, not the other way around. However, at the end of last week, I received an email from my friend Quan (who has the absolute-cutest baby), asking for a recipe, "Do you by chance have a good recipe for seafood risotto that you have tried out? I have one in a cookbook and I've been searching the internet and there are a few that I'm considering. I don't mind a bit of hard work to get a good risotto..." Loving a good challenge, I started to brainstorm. Then, he told me the most beautiful story about why he was searching for a recipe: "The best seafood risotto that I ever had was in Sorrento at a restaurant called Delfino's. It had everything I mentioned above but there were clams, bits of grilled swordfish and octopus instead of squid. It was quite the meal as we unknowingly found ourselves in the middle of the local festival to the patron saint Sant' Ana. After multiple shots of Limoncello and 2 litres of wine we found ourselves enjoying the evening festivities...30 minutes of non-stop fireworks. Ah...the memories." Doesn't that sound good??? I don't think this risotto will exactly create that spectacular memory, but here's to trying. Somehow, I set out to make up a risotto recipe on paper first, as there was no time to make it before he needed the recipe. I have to admit that I kinda imagined him wanting to make a beautiful dinner for his beautiful wife, and surprise her. Okay, he never told me this, but I felt obliged not to hold up the process! Since they have a baby, they obviously better things to do that to feel sad about making a terrible risotto! Somehow the pressure was mounting... Luckily, it worked out that I emailed the recipe, but still ended up making it before Quan did. I made it the next day. Luckily, I had a chance to fine-tune things. Thankfully, and happily, it turned out well and there weren't many things that needed tweaking. Phew! And even more luckily, they liked it!!! Stirring the risotto, gently with a flat-ended wooden-spoon. Cook fish from frozen? Jeff thought I was nuts, but I cooked all the seafood for the recipe from frozen, in the broth for the risotto, removing it when it was finished. The seafood was ridiculously tender, flavoured with saffron, and then the rice also had this lovely hint of the sea. I used a lobster tail, calamari rings, scallops, and mussels. The scallops were huge, but are hiding in the dish. The lobster tail was a bit of a waste, as there was hardly any meat to eat. I did a "no-no" and bought mussels from New Zealand... "No-no" since they were shipped across the planet.... but they were fantastic. They came split apart, which was perfect for the dish, delish! Seafood Risotto with Saffron (generously serves 4) 1 medium onion, 1 cup diced 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups arborio rice 1.5 litres chicken/vegetable stock 2 tbsp butter 1 tsp saffron threads 3 medium carrots, finely diced Seafood - calamari rings, mussels, scallops. (Seafood- use what you like, and guesstimate amounts, it's okay. Buy frozen, don't defrost, it will add a lot of flavour. A bag of "mixed" seafood would be a good budget option. I already had the large scallops.) Salt Flat-leaf parsley 1. Dice the onion finely. 2. Heat 3 tbsp of butter in a large saute pan, until bubbling. Add the onion, and saute on medium high heat until translucent. Don't let it brown, reducing the temperature if necessary. Add a good pinch of salt. 3. Heat the stock on the back burner. Add the saffron, crumbling slightly. If using frozen seafood, add in the largest pieces first. Once cooked, it can be removed to prevent overcooking (or keep the heat low, if it is towards the end) 4. When the onion is pretty soft, stir in the rice. Stir with a wooden spoon, and heat through until somewhat clear (but don't toast it). It should get nice and thirsty. 5. Now it is time for the rice to get drunk....add the wine, and stir. 6. When the wine is cooked off, add the broth, ladle by ladle. After a couple ladle-fulls, add the diced carrots. 7. Keep adding the broth, until all absorbed by the rice, and then all the seafood should be in there too. Taste and adjust salt for seasoning. 8. Finely chop a little parsley for each plate. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is nice. Now you're done! Don't add cheese. Thanks for the inspiration Quan, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
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savoury pumpkin soup with scallops

I love pumpkin. You name it, if it has pumpkin, I'll probably like it. I suppose there are worse faults to have, although I can get a bit carried away. Like slowly swirling a scoop of pumpkin ice cream in black coffee - a great way to start a fall day before the temperatures have aligned with the seasons. This variation on pumpkin, is a soup with a few twists. Like orange blossom water. It's so aromatic, but divine. Oooh yes, and cumin, and garam masala, and the scallops just kinda tie it all together! I think pumpkin soup with scallops was the first dish I made for Jeff. I remember being convinced that the scallops wouldn't turn out, as I find the trick to searing scallops is to consistently use the same "brand", the same stove, and the same pan. Thankfully the scallops turned out just fine. Phew! However, a couple things to note with purchasing scallops. Scallops often come from the same distributor, even for different fish markets. More often than not the fishmonger has defrosted previously frozen scallops, as the ones sitting in the case are not usually fresh. Do read the fine print, or ask. Most scallops have been treated with phosphates, sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). This is to help the scallop maintain freshness, but also to prevent a loss of mass, and can increase it too... but they will deflate as they are cooked....sometimes the only way to find out is the hard way - to cook them. Once we had company over, and unfortunately I prepared scallops that were excessively bitter, virtually inedible. The scallops were previously frozen, and then must have been soaked in more STP to "maintain freshness"...okay increase their mass. So, I have had much better luck buying only frozen (little or no STP), and from asking questions. Quite often, scallops are frozen on the boat, or frozen the same day. Flash-frozen. That's about as good as it gets for me. I defrost the scallops in the fridge overnight, or in a plastic bag soaking in lukewarm water. Much more reliable...unless I was able go to out and get them from the water myself! Unfortunately, living on the prairies, has pretty much ensured that I won't be doing that anytime soon. The soup itself is constantly evolving, according to a change in spiciness; but pumpkin pairs very well with the mellow sweetness of scallops. Savoury Pumpkin Soup with Scallops 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable broth 2-28 oz cans of pumpkin 1 cup chopped onion 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp coriander 2 tbsp orange blossom water 1/2 cup maple syrup salt to taste 2-3 scallops per person 1. In a stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat and sauté the onion. When the onion is caramelized, add the spices. Lower the heat, and continue to sauté until fragrant, another 15-30 seconds. 2. Add the cans of pumpkin, and the stock. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the orange blossom water, and the maple syrup. Add salt to taste. 3. Add a touch of olive oil to a non-stick skillet, and heat until very hot. Dry the scallops on a paper towel. Using tongs, add the scallops to the hot pan. Depending upon the size of the scallop, cook 1-2 minutes per side. Generally, I cook longer on the first side, to make sure I have at least one side with a nice golden crust. 4. Spoon the soup into bowls, and place the scallops on top. They tend to sink, and just peek out from the top. Finish with a few drops of orange blossom water, or some good quality white truffle oil. Enjoy!
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