Scallop & Asparagus Risotto

This is a great one - pot, one - dish meal.  That's great for me because I've recently left a 2700 square foot residence to move into an even smaller home.  Yes, I've left my red kitchen.  I've been in a little bit of a state of shock, not sure what to do without my big red kitchen.  Should I start a new blog with a new name?  Or will it count if I just splash red decor all over the much - smaller - but - it works - kitchen? We never even used half of that house anyway...Yes, it's been a while since I've last posted.  But I'm already designing my next big kitchen in my mind.  And of course it will be red!

I love Risotto because it's an Italian class of short - grain rices that release a large amount of starch when cooked in broth.  The finished product is a creamy style of rice with a wonderfully distinctive taste of having been cooked in wine.  I looked for Carnaroli, the more expensive but considered to be one of the best types of rice for making Risotto.  But I couldn't find it in Little Rock, so I stuck with the more common Arborio rice to make my Risotto. 

This reminds me of Vietnamese Chao, or its Enlgish translation, rice porridge or congee.  This fall weather has been a great time to eat Risotto and Chao!  Just like Risotto, you can add anything to Vietnamese Chao to turn it from an introductory soupy rice dish to a meal.  We've done it with shredded chicken, lump crab meat, and here, scallops and asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 32 oz. chicken broth, reduced sodium
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano - Reggiano cheese
• 1 bunch asparagus, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. bay scallops
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, I use Sauvignon Blanc

Directions:

1. Start by putting the broth into a small saucepan over medium heat to get it hot.
2. Heat a small Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add the butter, then the shallots, then stir to cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the Arborio rice and cook an additional two more minutes.
3. Add the wine, allowing the rice to absorb it well.
4. Add a half cup of the hot broth to the rice.  Stir until the broth is all absorbed, then continue to add a half cup of broth while stirring and stirring.  This will take about 20 minutes.
5. Before you add the last half cup of broth, add the asparagus and scallops.
6. Add the last amount of broth, while continuing to stir everything in the pot.
7. Once the asaparagus and scallops look done, add the Parmigiano - Reggiano.
8. Making it as thick or thin as you'd like, feel free to add more broth or water to the consistency you prefer.