A rich, complex risotto: prosciutto, grapefruit and pimenton (with scallops)

Ragazzi, this is one for the ambitious.  It is not very complex, but it has a lot of steps AND , if you do it full out, you are going to have a dish that is probably too rich to eat a lot of.  And that may be a problem, because let Annalena tell you, this recipe makes a LOT of risotto.  She, in fact, cut the recipe in half, in some places (but not all), left out ingredients, and she and the  Guyman still wound up feeling :  we didn't need the scallops.

But making risotto is fun, and as she progressed through this recipe, Annalena kept on thinking of different ways the dish could go:  things you could leave out, things you could substitute, etc, etc, etc.  So, ragazzi, here it comes.  She thinks that you pescatarians could make a really ample meal of this (with the scallops), and you vegans could probably make a meal of it that needs a bit of something else with it, but all in all, the ingredients are pure and good, and it's a dish that has, as they say, very substantial "mouthfeel."


Let's begin with the essentials, and then we'll talk about the options.  You will need  one cup of risotto rice.  As she has said before, Annalena prefers carnaroli, but you could use arborio, which is the easiest one to find, or Nano, which is the most expensive one, and in Annalena's opinion, does not make a good risotto.  Choose which one you like.  You will also need stock.  Annalena used chicken stock, but vegetable stock (if you have one you like), or clam juice/fish stock will work here as well. Start with three cups of this, and be prepared to need more.   You will also need shallots - or- one of Annalena's new finds that has made her life so much easier - pre minced shallots, which she found at Whole Foods.  Two big tablespoons of minced.  You also need smoked paprika.  The recipe called for "pimenton d'espilette," and Annalena MIGHT have used that, but she's not sure.  It surely was, however, smoked pimenton, and you need a lot of it:  a full tablespoons and a half.

Now, here's the unusual ingredient:  one ruby grapefrut.  (Keep in mind that Annalena is halving this recipe, so you will have to use two if you make it full out).  You will want to grate the peel and then, to the extent you can, supreme the grapefruit segments.  This is NOT Annalena's strong suit,  but she did the best she could.  Go to the web to get instruction on how to do this.    And you will need half a stick of butter, and half a cup of either white wine, or the white wine substitute Annalena spoke of in her last blog entry.

That's quite a list.  And here come the options:  an ounce and a half of minced prosciutto (Annalena did use this).  A half cup of grated parmesan cheese.  A quarter cup of heavy cream.  A pound of scallops.   Annalena did use the prosciutto and the scallops, but the Italian in her blanced at using dairy with the fish.  She's glad she didn't.  The pound of scallops is what is intended for the full recipe, which is supposed to serve six.  That will probably give you 2-3 scallops per person.  Think about that as you proceed.  Annalena thinks, quite frankly, that the way she made the risotto, she should not have made the scallops.


Ok, now we're ready to cook.  Put your stock in a pot and keep it at a low heat, while you melt three tablespoons of the butter (leaving you one left over for now),  and add the prosciutto.  Stir this about until the ham begins to brown and then add the shallots, and cook for about a minute.  Finally, add the rice, stir it around, and when it's translucent, add the wine.  This will all cook off.  If you are doing this vegetarian style, leave out the prosciutto.

By now, your stock will have started to simmer, and you will start adding the stuff, half a cup at a time, to the rice.  Those of you who are old hands at risotto making, will know what to do:  stir, lower the heat, and let the liquid evaporate and get absorbed.  Keep it up, and as you get to the end of the stock, check the texture of your rice.  You can "tell" if it's cooking enough, and if it's not, then add more stock, or water.  Indeed, as the stock cooks down, you will be concentrating it, and water is an absolutely fine thing to add.

When you have gotten to about the end of the stock/water, stir in the grapefruit peel, and a tablespoon of the pimenton.  Smell what happens.  You will get this rise of flavor:  a deep smokiness in the air.  Because of all these flavors, you should use a pimenton that is not all that spicy, especially because that half tablespoon is going to come back, if you do the scallops.

If you are using the cream, add it now and stir it in until it's gone, and if you use the cheese, put it in, off the heat and now just let this sit for a few minutes, because you're going to make scallops - maybe.

If you choose to make them, sprinkle them with salt, and  the remaining pimenton.  Then melt the remaining one tablespoon of butter in a non stick pan and saute' the scallops.  You will not need more than two minutes to a side.

When you have finished this, spoon up the risotto, put the scallops on top and then - remember the grapefruit segments? - distribute those on top of the scallops.


Annalena has to tell you ragazzi, this dish is wonderful, and almost too much.  And that was, as she says, without the cheese and cream.  So, make your decisions. There are many possible detours in this risotto.  Annalena will make it again, probably as she made it this time, but without the scallops.  It's definitely special occasion or company dinner food.  But what's wrong with t hat?