Viva La Risotto!

So, I have been on this huge risotto kick the last couple of months. It started out as a challenge. I mean, if it's one of the dishes that consistently shows up on Iron Chef, Top Chef, and Hell's Kitchen, then it's not exactly the easiest thing to throw together, now is it? What it has become, however, is pretty much one of my favorite foods. I found this really great lemon risotto recipe on Epicurious.com, and I have been using it as a starting point for all kinds of really interesting variations.

Risotto is defined in the Food Lover's Dictionary as "An Italian rice specialty made by stirring hot stock into a mixture of rice (and often chopped onions) that has been sautéed in butter. The stock is added 1/2 cup at a time and the mixture is stirred continually while it cooks until all the liquid is absorbed before more stock is added. This labor-intensive technique results in rice that is delectably creamy while the grains remain separate and firm." It is a northern Italian dish and a centerpiece of Milanese cooking. Risotto can be made with three different types of short-grain Japonica rice: arborio, carnaroli, and vialone nano. Arborio is considered the lowest quality, but it is the most widely available and is called for in most risotto recipes.

What I have discovered is that risotto is not particularly hard to make. The real difficulty comes from the fact that, if you are doing anything else while you're making it, you either need four arms or a sous chef, because it requires almost constant stirring to turn out properly. However, it is so intensely worth the effort, because the creamy texture and delicate flavor are absolutely to die for. Plus, once you get the general technique down, risotto lends itself to neverending variation.

About a week ago, I came up with just about the best variation on risotto I've had. Because it was THAT AWESOME, of course I must share!

Risotto Fabuloso

4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups water
1-2 tbs olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup - 1 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup each fresh basil, fresh oregano, fresh chives, all chopped finely
1 small tomato, diced
1 lb 31-40 shrimp
3-4 slices prosciutto, chopped coarsely
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat broth, lemon juice, and water on medium-low. Set aside.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium flame. Saute shallots until translucent. Add rice and stir constantly for about a minute. Stir in the wine, lemon juice and lemon zest until evaporated wine has evaporated, then start adding the broth mixture, a half cup at a time, stirring regularly until desired texture is achieved.

In another smaller skillet, saute prosciutto and shrimp. Salt and pepper, and cook for a minute or two until prosciutto is slightly crisp and shrimp curl up and turn pink.

Remove risotto from heat. Stir in cheese, tomato, and fresh herbs. Add shrimp and prosciutto.

Enjoy!