Name: Shrimp Etouffee Risotto: a Valentine’s dinner
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken broth; 1 cup water; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup); 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon); 3/4 cup Arborio rice; splash of dry white wine (about 2 to 3 tablespoons); sprig or two of fresh thyme; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Freshly ground black pepper; Sea salt; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon); 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup); 1 stalk celery, finely diced; 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper; 3 scallions, white and green parts, finely diced; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons flour; 1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined medium (41-50 count) shrimp, thawed if frozen; 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients

Scale

For the Risotto:

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3/4 cup Arborio rice
splash of dry white wine (about 2 to 3 tablespoons)
sprig or two of fresh thyme
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt

For the Shrimp Étouffée:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
3 scallions, white and green parts, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined medium (41–50 count) shrimp, thawed if frozen
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a medium saucepan bring broth and water to a low simmer.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir rice into onion mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add the sprig of thyme and stir.
Pour wine into rice mixture and stir as the alcohol steams off. Cook, until almost evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to medium and pour a few ladlefuls of warm broth into skillet and cook, stirring gently until broth is absorbed. Continue to cook, repeating adding a few ladlefuls of broth and stirring until broth is absorbed before adding more, until rice is al dente, about 20 minutes. You may find that you have broth left over – that’s just fine. Keep it to the side. You may want to add a splash just before serving.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in Parmesan . Stir in butter until it melts and season generously with salt and pepper.
To make the etouffee, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, scallion and parsley. Cook, stirring, until softened and with onions just beginning to get translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring, until the roux darkens to a light brown color, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and continue stirring to allow roux to darken a bit more.
When the roux is the desired color, add it to the vegetables and stir until fully incorporated.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the shrimp, cayenne and Creole seasoning and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp turn pink and are cooked through, about 10 minutes. (The cooking time will vary with the shrimp size.)
Taste and season with more cayenne and Creole seasoning, if desired. Serve right away over risotto.