Let’s talk risotto. Phil and I have NEVER sat over the stove top to make risotto. Instead we found instant pot recipes that literally take 20 minutes tops for the entire dish to be done. For Valentine’s Day, we figured we’d take the plunge.

Here’s our takeaway:
1. THIS IS FAIRLY LABOR INTENSIVE. As in, my arm felt like it was going to fall off, so I had to tag my husband in to stir, as I sat down with a glass of Moscato. Maybe I just wanted to drink wine and watch my husband cook; who’s judging?
2. Risotto is really not that intimidating. It’s about patience. You really just have to pay close attention to your rice. The moment the liquid seems to evaporate, it’s time to add the next ladle of stock. This took about 18-20 minutes total. Stirring a pot of rice for 20 minutes requires some good background music and that glass of Moscato I was previously talking about.
3. This does require a bit of chopping and preparation before you begin cooking. If you’re able to have a helping hand, I would highly recommend this.
4. The recipe is DELICIOUS and very worth the time and effort. We definitely felt like we were dining at Hell’s Kitchen! Please do not let 1-3 scare you off. You will be thanking yourself for the meal you had made, along with the beautiful leftovers this makes.

Tips for the Ingredients:

1. We could not find truffle oil in any of our local grocery stores. We ended up on Amazon and bought Farchioni’s Black Truffle Oil for $10.99 and free shipping. It was imported from Italy, so that was a bonus. I typically would never spend this much money on an oil…but we only needed 2 Tbsp. for the recipe, so I figured this would end up being a fair price. Here’s a quick link (no, I do not work for amazon or the truffle oil industry- it’s a recommendation!): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078X2WFN4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

2. Treat yo’ self to the good block of parm. The green bottled stuff is definitely a staple in our pantry, but when you are making this decadent dish head to the deli area.

3. This was the first time cooking with scallops for us. We did not realize how expensive these bad boys were going to be. Our local supermarkets were charging between 15.99-19.99 a pound! We ended up buying 2 lbs. for $21.99 at Sam’s Club. I also heard Aldi’s has a great price on scallops!

The Recipe!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 cups chicken stock (measure this!)
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine (we used Moscato- but a dry white wine would be great!)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (we used more for garnish)
• 3 tbsp. good olive oil
• 1/4 stick butter + 1/4 stick butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound mixed or wild mushrooms, sliced (we used crimini and white cap)
• 1 1/2 tbsp truffle oil
• 2 tbsp. Thyme leaves
• 4 or 5 leaves, fresh Sage, chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf Parsley, chopped
• 8 large sea scallops
• 1 tbsp. good olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat chicken stock in small pot. Keep on lowest heat. Keep this on the back burner, behind your risotto pan.

Melt 1/4 stick butter in a skillet. Once melted, add onion and mushrooms. Saute until onion begins to turn translucent. Add garlic salt, pepper and fresh herbs to a skillet. Saute another minute. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Wipe out skillet.

Add remaining butter to skillet. Add rice and stir until coated and opaque for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in wine. Allow to cook until wine has almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium, and begin adding warm stock, one cup at a time, allowing rice to absorb each cup before adding the next. Stir continuously. This is when you may need to take shifts with your cooking partner. When liquid begins to evaporate from the top, add your next cup of warm stock. This will take a total of 15-20 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan cheese, then truffle oil. Add vegetables.

Coat a second skillet with olive oil on medium high heat. Pat scallops completely dry with paper towel and very lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Just before the oil reaches smoke point, add scallops. Do not move the scallops. After two minutes check to see if the edges of the scallops have started to form a crust. Once the crust is golden brown, flip the scallops and allow to cook for 30 seconds. Serve crust side up over risotto. Drizzle with extra truffle oil, and sprinkle with additional Parsley.

Voila! Time to sit down and enjoy your beautiful “Hell’s Kitchen” dinner!