Risotto with Scallops and Asparagus

Chef Richard 8 Servings 45 minutes

Sautéed scallops are paired with a creamy Asiago cheese risotto in this elegant seafood entrée. You may substitute the more delicate bay scallops, if desired, being sure to shorten the cooking time slightly.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup onion , finely chopped
  • 2 cups Arborio rise, uncooked
  • 2 cups white wine
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or t taste
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup Asiago cheese, grated
  • 24 asparagus spears, thin, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
  • 2½ pounds sea scallops, muscle tabs removed
  • Salt, to taste

Directions

  • Bring the broth to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce the heat and simmer.
  • Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, reduce the heat, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat, about 2 minutes.
  • Add half of the simmered chicken to the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs all the broth, about 6-8 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer, stirring, until the broth is absorbed, 6-8 minutes more. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, until the risotto has a creamy consistency and the rice is tender, about 6-8 minutes more. Stir the pepper and add the butter and Asiago cheese in the final minutes of cooking.
  • Steam the asparagus until tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry with paper toweling and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté the scallops in the remaining olive oil over high heat until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. When the scallops are done, serve them at once on a bed of the risotto with the asparagus.