Where did this come from, you ask? Surprisingly, nowhere in particular. I like shrimp. I like risotto, and I hadn't made any in some time. And while I was planning my meals for the week, I remembered that I needed to blog about something. So I asked myself, what do I do? And then the idea just came to me: what if I could do risotto as a F.E.A.S.T.?
"Madness!" I hear you say. "You can't do risotto on the cheap! You can't do it in under an hour!"
Oh, but you can!
::cue maniacal laughter::
OK, so it really isn't all that crazy truth to tell. And I didn't quite hit all the points needed for it to qualify as a F.E.A.S.T., but I'll explain that in a minute.
The truth is that shrimp, like most seafood, is actually quite easy to cook. You just have to have quality ingredients and you need to not over-complicate things. And trust me, I am the master of over-complicating things that don't need to be over-complicated. Luckily, seafood is not really one of them. The same goes for risotto. In reality, it isn't all that tricky; you just have to be diligent. That means that unlike with regular rice, you can't just walk away from it. It needs tending.
So, if you treat the ingredients right and just pay attention to what you're about, you can come up with something that's truly delicious. And everyone you serve will be so impressed that you made freaking shrimp risotto of all things, that you come off looking like a master chef. It really is just that impressive!
Oh, but still you doubt me? Well, read on dear readers, and judge for yourselves!
WHAT I USED!!!
1 yellow onion, diced ($1.0)
a few tsp garlic, divided (stock)
2 cups Arborio rice (from a $6.0 container)
Approx. 5 cups vegetable broth or stock ($3.0)
1 1/4 cup dry white wine (like chardonnay), divided ($5.0)
6 tbs (unsalted) butter, divided (stock)
1 lb frozen medium shrimp (raw, de-veined, tail-on), thawed ($6.5)
Basil, julienned ($2.0)
Juice of 1 large lemon ($1.0)
Parmesan cheese, to taste ($2.5)
Salt and pepper (stock)
Final price for ingredients: $27.0
OK, so I'm over on my budget here, I admit that. But I only used about half the rice, and we were able to drink the rest of the bottle of wine with the meal. So technically I only went over by a little bit.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
WHAT I DID!!!
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Once you reach that point, drop the heat and keep the broth hot.
Meanwhile, melt 4tbs butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Toss in your onion and some garlic, and cook for around 5 minutes, until the onion begins to turn translucent. Season with your salt and pepper, and don't be skimpy.
Add your rice to the pan and stir/toss the grains to coat them in the butter and onion mixture. Toast the rice, stirring regularly, for a few minutes, taking care not to let the rice burn.
Add 1 cup of white wine and stir occasionally until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Then, add your hot broth a ladle-full or two at a time, and stir until that liquid has also had a chance to absorb.
Once you've gotten through about half to two-thirds of your broth, melt the remaining 2tbs butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the rest of your garlic, the shrimp, half of the lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4cup of wine to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Saute until the shrimp turns opaque all the way through.
Taste the rice after each broth addition when you get near the end. The grains should be firm but not crunchy, and soft but not gummy. If you have to, ease up and don't add the last cup or so of the broth, but I found that this wasn't necessary.
Add the remaining lemon juice to the rice, then pour in all of the liquid from the shrimp. Stir in the shredded basil and the Parmesan.
Scoop the rice into a bowl, top with a few shrimp and some more Parmesan, and enjoy!
There now, that's not so difficult, right? Let's review our acronym.
Fast: Yep, right on the nose. From prep to eat took exactly one hour, and that was with me sort of making things up as I went. I had a couple methods to use as guides, true, but I really did just do this one on my own accord. The point is that I said it would take an hour, and it did!
Easy: I would say so. Sure, it's not as easy as making a sandwich, but it ain't rocket science either. Just keep your eyes on the rice and don't let it burn or get soggy, and you'll be fine. The trick is to just keep stirring the pot, and I know that you can handle that part.
Affordable: Like I said, I did go over my $20 budget, which is unfortunate. But I have enough rice left over to make a second meal, so I feel like I only went over by a few dollars. But, a budget is a budget, and I did bust it on this one. Still, the results were worth the extra expense, in my opinion.
Super Tasty: Yes. Very yes. The shrimp were succulent and juicy, with a light, aromatic flavor. The rice was wonderfully creamy, cooked to a perfect al dente. Together, with the acidity of the lemon and the pepperiness of the basil, they came together to make a wonderfully light, and surprisingly healthy, meal that was very satisfying nonetheless.
So there you have it: shrimp risotto in an hour for around twenty bucks. It's easy, it's delicious, it's a F.E.A.S.T.!
As always, thanks for reading. I hope that you enjoyed it. Comments and suggestions for new meals are always welcome. Until next time, go forth and eat well!
