Love the creamy and loose consistency of the Risotto. The flavor of the whole dish is just spot on with the combination of umami saltiness from bacon, crunch from buttered garlic and taste of the sea from the Sweet Scallop. This Recipe yield a perfect plate of thick saucy risotto that flow onto the plate smoothly like a lava and not clumpy.
Risotto is an Italian dish where the rice is cooked in a broth until creamy and smooth. Arborio or Carnaroli rice grains are usually used to make risotto for the creamy consistency.
Traditionally, rice used to make risotto need not be wash because you need the starch from the rice grain for the creamy consistency. Also, this dish is made by sweating the onions in the heated pan, then add in the unwashed rice grains to toast until the outer grain is translucent and opaque in the center. With this method, you get a nutter rice but yet the creaminess of the risotto is slightly compromised.
I adopted a method recommended by Serious Eat to 1st “wash” the rice in water. But do not discard the water! You actually need to reserve the water for later use.
This method will give you the best of both worlds- nutty rice and creamy consistency. And I did had my best risotto ever!
Just looking at this picture makes me wanna eat it again!
This recipe can be converted to any other choice of risotto based on your preference. Just omit the scallop, bacon and the garlic Parsley toppings and use the steps to cook the risotto as the Base.
To make this Luscious, creamy risotto, prepare all the ingredients before starting.
*garlic, Parsley & butter for the toppings is not in picture
1st, you will need to pan fry the bacon bits in a heated pan under medium heat
Until brown and crispy
Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside for later use.
Use the remaining oil and fats from the bacon and continue to toast the rice until the outer layer of the rice is slightly translucent and the center remains opaque
Then add the onions
and sauté until the onions become translucent
Add Wine and let it evaporate and absorb by the rice.
Then slowly add in the chicken stock. Add just enough stock to cover the rice grain so that the rice will be cooked evenly. Not too much though. I seperate the addition of the stock into 3 batches
Keep stirring to encourage the releasing of starch from the rice.
When the rice almost absorb the stock, add in another batch of stock and repeat the process until the rice grain is almost done with some bite in the center.
Add in the reserved starchy liquid from washing the rice
and continue stirring until almost absorb but still with some liquid.
The risotto should be cooked to al dente at this point of time.
Add in the cream and let it come to low boil. Then remove the pan from the heat and add in the butter
Stir in the butter until melted. Then add in grated parmesan and quickly “whip” in the cheese
*The consistency of the risotto is not clumpy due to sufficient of liquid but not too much liquid
Prep the garlic butter and pan fried the scallop before making the risotto.
Garlic Parsley Butter
Melt the butter in a heated pan over medium high heat
Add in garlic and parsley after the butter in melted. Saute until the garlic become slightly brown and crispy. Add in salt and remove from the pan. Set aside for later use
Pan Fried Scallop
To ensure browning of scallop without overcooking, make sure the scallop is pat dry – very dry I mean.
Season with salt and black pepper
Heat oil in pan over medium high heat and add in the scallop into the heated pan
Pan fried each side until brown – about 30 sec each side. You do not want to overcook the scallop as it will become tough and rubbery
Scoop the risotto onto a plate. Top with scallop and drizzle over the garlic parsley butter and serve.
Bon Appetite!
- 15g Butter
- 2g Chopped Parsley
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 6 Pieces Large Scallop (Pat Dry)
- Salt & Coarse Black Pepper to season
- 100g Arborio or Carnaroli Rice
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 50g Chopped Bacon
- 50g Chopped Onions
- 300 ml Chicken Stock (Swanson's) - Salt content differ for different brands (adjust salt accordingly)
- 100ml water
- 80ml Cream
- 40 ml White Wine/ Sake
- 30g Butter
- 40g Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Melt the butter in a heated pan over medium high heat
- Add in chopped parsley, garlic and salt.
- Saute for 15 to 20 secs or until garlic turns golden brown and crisp
- Remove from the heat and set aside
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the patted dry scallop
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
- add in scallop and sear each side of the scallop until brown; about 30 sec each side. Do not overcook
- Remove from the pan and allow it to rest aside while preparing the risotto
- Wash the rice grains with 100ml of water. Strain and reserve the strained cloudy water for later use. *DO NOT DISCARD the water
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
- Add in chopped bacons and saute till golden brown
- Remove the bacons and set aside;
- Add in the rice into the pan with the remaining oil from frying the bacon and toast the rice until the outer grain become slightly translucent
- Add in chopped onions and saute until onions become slightly translucent
- Add Wine and let it evaporate and absorb by the rice.
- Then, add in just enough chicken stock to cover the rice and keep stirring.
- When the stock is almost absorb by the rice, add more chicken stock (just enough to cover the rice) and continue stirring. Continue until the stock is used up or when the rice is almost al dente with some bites in the center.
- Add in the reserved cloudy water and continue stirring until almost absorb but still with some liquid. The rice should be al dente at this point
- If the rice is still not to your liking, add more water and continue to cook until the liquid is almost absorb;
- Otherwise; Add in the cream and let it come to low boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the butter
- Stir until butter melted
- Add in the grated parmesan cheese and quickly whip into the risotto
- Scoop the risotto onto the serving plates
- Top with scallop and drizzle over the garlic parsley butter and serve