Lemon Scallop Risotto

When great people work together, great ideas are born! Fishers Melissa and Joel Collier recently collaborated with Sabrina Currie from West Coast Kitchen Garden, to develop delicious recipes that incorporates their wild pink and spiny scallops.

Scallops and risotto are a natural pairing! This light and delicious Italian style dish only uses a few simple pantry ingredients. Easy to make any night of the week, or save for a special occasion - you choose!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Butter (or substitute olive oil)
• 1 cup Scallions, one bunch of green onions, white parts used to sauté at beginning, green parts to garnish at the end.
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 Lemon, zested and then juiced.
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 4 cup Chicken stock (or substitute veggie or sustainable seafood stock)
• 1 cup Grated Parmesan (or substitute pecorino or grana padano)
• 2 lbs (4 cups) Swimming Scallops, keep frozen until ready to cook and quickly rinse off excess sea water glaze right before adding to pan
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Parsley, finely chopped to garnish

Directions

1. Place stock in a pot on the stove and heat to a simmer. Keep it at a low simmer throughout making the risotto.
2. Using a large saucepan that has a lid, heat butter on low heat and add the sliced white parts of green onions and minced garlic. Sauté until translucent and then add rice, stirring until grains are lightly coated with butter. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stir and continue to next steps with heat on low.
3. Using a ladle, add 1-2 scoops of hot stock to rice and stir through. Stir frequently until liquid is absorbed before adding more stock. Continue stirring and adding stock for about 15-20 minutes and then taste to test if rice is cooked. If not, continue adding stock and stirring until it is al dente (firm but fully cooked).
4. If you run out of stock while cooking, you can use hot water to finish.
5. Now add in lemon zest, parmesan, remaining green onions and parsley, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. The risotto should be fairly loose at this point, if it is firming up, add another ladle full of stock and stir.
6. Immediately add scallops, stir one more time and cover with a lid. Let cook 3-4 minutes on low heat and then remove from heat. Keep covered and let sit off the heat for 2 more minutes before uncovering and serving.
7. Garnish with extra grated parmesan, freshly ground pepper and chopped parsley if desired.

Additional Notes

1. Make sure to use a saucepan with relatively high sides that will hold approximately 5 cups of the risotto along with the 4 cups of scallops. If you don't have a lid for your pan, stir so the rice is overtop of the scallops while they cook.
2. Try not to overcook these delicate scallops. They only need a few minutes of heat before they are done. They are sushi grade scallops and can even be eaten raw so err on the side of undercooked rather than overcooked.
3. Scallops are done when they start to open. If a few don't open, they are still safe to eat because they are frozen live at sea and are sushi grade. Just pop them open with a knife or a half scallop shell and enjoy.
4. Cover and refrigerate leftover lemon scallop risotto, which will keep up to 2 days. Freezing leftovers is not recommended.

Servings: 4 people

Recipe kindly shared with us by Sabrina Currie of West Coast Garden Kitchen in Campbell River, BC – see more of her amazing recipes and ideas on her website or give her a follow on Instagram