Sea Scallop Risotto

Method

To prepare the asparagus, hold the tip end in one hand and gently apply pressure on the other end of the stock until it snaps. Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer, blanch asparagus until tender (1 to 2 minutes). Shock in ice water to stop cooking process.

Using a sharp knife or mandolin, carefully shave the Brussels sprouts into thin, delicate ribbons and set aside.

Remove skin from garlic and shallot and finely chop. Clean thyme and rosemary and finely chop. Set aside.

In a 350⁰F heated oven, bake strips of prosciutto until crispy (4 to 5 minutes). Set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot on medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons of canola oil, garlic, shallots, thyme and rosemary. Gently sweat, allowing only a small amount of brown to form on the bottom of the pot. After cooking down the aromatics, add rice. Stir constantly, moving the rice around to allow even toasting and coating of oil (2 to 3 minutes).

After 2 to 3 minutes of toasting, deglaze the pot by adding white wine, stirring to incorporate.

This is the fun part. Pour your stock in a medium pot to gently warm. With a ladle, pour small amounts of heated stock into the pot. Make sure to keep stirring so no rice sticks to the pot. Keep adding stock by ladleful and allow it to cook off and be absorbed by the rice. Depending on your heat, this process can take some time (15 to 20 minutes).

Once the rice is starting to stick together, you will see it becoming creamy. The consistency should be soft and creamy, but still have a slight bite to it. We want creamy-dreamy, not mush.

Cut blanched asparagus stalks into thirds. Add them, along with the shavings of Brussels sprouts and Parmesan to the almost finished risotto. If too thick (not so creamy), thin out risotto with a little more stock. Add the juice of one lemon at the last second.

Heat a frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until you start to see smoke trails. Remove the adductor muscles from the scallops, season with salt and pepper and carefully place each scallop into the pan, laying out in a clockwise pattern to know which to turn first. There should be lots of sound and bubbling happening. Sear for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a golden-brown ring forms around the scallop. Flip the scallops clockwise and turn off the heat.

Scoop your perfect risotto onto a plate, add your scallops and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with prosciutto and more Parmesan.