Risotto

Italian Seafood Risotto With Porcini Mushrooms

1. 1 cup Italian arborio rice
2. 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3. 4-6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
4. 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
5. 2 cups boiling water (to reconstitute the dried porcinis)
6. 1/2 cup dry, white wine such as chardonnay or pinot grigio
7. 1/2 lb medium or large shrimp and 1/2 lb scallops (or, all shrimp or all
8. scallops)
9. 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10. 1/2 cup onions or shallots, finely minced
11. 1 Tbsp. fennel seeds, crushed in (coffee grinder)
12. 2 Tbsp. fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
13. 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
14. salt and freshly ground black or Tellicherry pepper
15. 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
16. 2 Tbsp. butter or yogurt butter

Pour boiling water into small bowl and add porcinis to reconstitute. This takes from 20-30 minutes, so plan ahead. Mushrooms should be soft and plumped. Set chicken stock to a slow simmer in a large sauce pan or soup pan. In large skillet, heat wine over medium and add garlic for one minute. Add the seafood and let simmer until shrimp turn just pink, and/or scallops just turn translucent. Remove from heat and let steep in the wine (In other words, cook the seafood only to medium rare, since it will continue to cook in the wine and when added to the risotto.). After the porcinis have "re-constituted" for about half an hour, take the porcinis out of the liquid and squeeze out some of the juice back into the bowl. It will be dark brownish red by now and deeply flavorful (If it's "gritty", strain the grit out). Add the cleaned porcini liquid and the porcinis themselves to the simmering stock Now the risotto stock is primed to deeply infuse the arborio with the earthy, chestnutty flavor of the porcinis. In a large cast iron skillet or large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil to medium. Add the onions and toss them a couple of times to coat and add the Italian Arborio rice. Toss the rice with the onions a few times to coat it well with oil. This helps the rice to absorb the cooking juices slowly. It also assists in producing the silky texture. Add a ladle or two of the barely simmering stock, stir a little, make sure the developing risotto is completely covered with juices and reduce the heat to low. Let it just simmer for a few, until the liquid is absorbed and the liquid level is just below the top of the rice. Add more stock. You don't have to stir this time but make sure the rice is completely covered again. Just keep repeating this for about fifteen minutes or so. You are just about done now, so add the seafood and the liquid that is with it in its cooking pan. Let the level of the liquid in your risotto reduce by about half. It's now time to taste for tenderness of the rice. If the rice is tender enough for your personal taste. Add the cheese and butter, stir them in thoroughly and let the risotto continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat. Please let the dish stand for about 5-7 minutes and the flavors will meld a bit more. Serve in pasta bowls. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly chopped Italian Parsley. A nice Italian Chard or substantive pinot grigio goes great with this.