Sea Scallops with Brown Butter and Risotto

Creamy Parmesan and Gouda Risotto with Sea Scallops, Crispy Coppa and Brown Butter… Perfect Every Thyme!

These beautiful sea scallops were around $15.95 a pound and they were briny, beautiful and oh so fresh. Paired with creamy risotto and a side of ribeye this was a non traditional variation of a surf and turf style meal and we LOVED IT!  ♡

Recipe:

Pat dry your sea scallops and sprinkle with pink sea salt or your favorite salt. I like himaylan pink salt because it has a slightly nutty flavor, lots of minerals and and of course I love the color! Set scallops aside.

Take one stick of salted butter and bring quickly to a high heat until it starts to bubble and turn a golden brown color. Be sure you are watching this it’s easy to turn your back and overdo! Once its nice and foamy I lower the heat to the lowest setting and occasionally stir

Next- you can use bacon, pancetta or prosciutto or skip this part if your not into meat. This dish is lovely as a pescatarian entree too! I use Coppa which is a dry smoked iItalian and has a salty fatty flavor that goes wonderfully with the sea scallops. Take a few pieces and fry until crispy and then set aside.

Now we make the risotto!

Ingredients:

1 small onion

3 garlic cloves

1 cup of your favorite white wine- I like a chardonnay or pinot

Half stick of butter plus 2 tablespoons olivie oil

Unlimited supply of chicken or vegetable stock. (Lol) I probably use about 10 cups in total but its good to have more stock available should you need it

1/2 cup gouda

1/2 grated parmesan- please use a really nice parmesan with rind, it does make a difference!

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Micro dice and sautee onion and garlic in butter and olive oil on medium high heat. Once translucent add white wine and let evaporate

Elevate heat to medium high and add three cups risotto and a cup of stock – Now its time for the real work! Stir the risotto until the stock is absorbed into the grains and then add another cup, repeat again and again and again a little stock at a time for about 25 minutes. Stirring and adding stock a little at a time until it’s really creamy. After about 25 minutes it should have just a little bite and you can add the salt and pepper and the cheeses. Fold cheeses into risotto and then put the lid on and set aside. I put the lid on at this stage because it locks in moisture and infuses the grains with the cheese flavor. Yum!

Heat a non stick pan or cast iron pan with a little olive oil AND butter, scallops need a little fat to create that golden crust that we all love- add sea scallops to hot pan, a few at a time, careful not to crowd the pan. They take about 5 to 6 minutes and I let mine sit on the first side a bit longer so I get that golden crust and then I flip. Once they are firm but still bouncy to the touch pull out of pan and set aside and sprinkle with fresh thyme.

To serve:

Spoon risotto on to a dish and crumble some of the crispy coppa, add a few of the scallops and then drizzle with brown butter. Garnish a little more thyme.

Enjoy! 🙂

 

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Ciao-ppino!~

Fresh white fish, shrimp, clams and mussels in a slow simmered tomato broth with garlic, bell pepper, shallot, parsley, cilantro, chardonnay, real butter AND SPANISH CHORIZO of course! Served with crispy sea salted tostones and white rice { not me, I just want an entire bowl full of this awesomeness}

I love the briny oceany salty flavor and there is nothing quite like tostones drenched in a seafood and tomato broth. The smoky chorizo adds an infusion of paprika and red chile that takes this to a whole other level. Its fresh, its clean and full of such thoughtfully layered flavor…. takes me to the islands every time.

 

Vegetarian Spinach & Ricotta Lasagna

At the moment, the fam and I are exploring a few vegetarian dishes and mixing things up a bit. My older son is considering becoming vegetarian/ pescatarian so we are trying to be supportive and make sure he has plenty to eat!  That being said, I am sitting at my desk considering a ribeye with gorgonzola habanero compound butter. {Shhhhh!! It will be our little secret…lol}  In any case this is day four and honestly we all feel such a renewed sense of energy and clarity its no wonder many folks make the switch. Obviously there are many reasons why we make decisions on what or how we eat and this has been a refreshing change of pace.

This layered lasagna is made with gluten free pasta, roasted garlic and basil marinara, tons of spinach mixed with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan and we topped it off with some of our leftover garlic alfredo sauce just before baking. Its incredible and I will happily eat all of the rest of it. 🙂

Ps- Weird Fact:

I always add hot sauce just before eating!!!