Well, after two days off …not really, transplanting some pot-bound indoor plants and watching them sigh a big sigh of relief, here it is..Monday morning. So..I absolutely love risotto and this is for the hard-core seafood diner. Trust me!
- 2 tbsp. virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 bulb fennel, cored and chopped
- 3 tbsp. tomato paste
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth
- 1/2 tsp. saffron
- 1 pound orzo
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 12 mussels
- 16-18 shrimp. deveined
- 1/2 lb. squid rings
- 1 lb. small clams
- 1 lb. meaty white fish, cut into chunks
- flat leaf parsley leaves for garnish
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel, stirring until just starting to brown. (3 minutes), add the tomato paste and season with a little salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 2 more minutes. Stir in the vermouth and saffron and cook for 1 minute.
Add the orzo and now, using a large ladle, add the clam juice and broth, stirring constantly until the orzo is el dente and the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add the shrimp, squid and baby clams into the pot, stirring under to cover the seafood. Stir gently for about 5 minutes until the seafood is cooked through. Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently tuck under the orzo and cook about 5 minutes more. Let stand for five minutes before serving and sprinkle some of the smaller parsley leaves over.
In warm bowls, ladle out the orzo. If you wish put a few wedges of lemon/lime on the table and let everyone help themselves.
You may need a whip to hold the guests back and stop the neighbours from breaking down your door just to taste this. Enjoy!
Orzo With Grilled Prawns And More
We had company here last week and Don made this. It was a super hot day and he didn’t want to barbecue or do anything to make the kitchen hot and, yes, we do have AC.
- 1 1/3 cups Orzo (I luv this stuff)
- 6 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 3 ways
- 4 tbsp. red wine vinegar, divided
- 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thickness
- 1 red bell pepper, quartered
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 lb. uncooked large prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1/2 of 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
- Homemade pesto sauce (not store bought) – recipe follows
Cook the orzo according to pkg directions until tender but still firm. Stir occasionally, then drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 tbsp. oil.
Prepare barbecue to medium temperature. Whisk together 2 tbsp. oil and 2 tbsp. vinegar in a small bowl. Brush the zucchini and pepper with the oil mixture, then sprinkle a little salt and pepper over.
Grill the zucchini and bell pepper until crisp tender (about 3 minutes per side and 4 minutes per side for bell pepper). Transfer to a work surface. Chop the vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the bowl of orzo.
Homemade Pesto
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 oz. grated fresh parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 3 cups fresh basil
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients except the oil into a blender. Drizzle the oil in the blender, while pulsing to smooth consistency.
Moving on……
Add the tomatoes, sliced basil and mozzarella cheese, tossing to combine. Put about 3-4 tbsp. of the pesto into the orzo and carefully stir to combine. Don’t use too much or it will overpower the salad.
Scoop into an old-fashioned cocktail glass, lightly packing down and invert on a plate. Arrange 6 shrimp around the ‘mound’ and lightly drizzle some of the pesto across the shrimp.
This is served at room temperature and trust me, this was “lick your plate” clean food.
I really didn’t think it would be enough for an entree, but it really is. Add some toasted focaccio squares and WAHOO! this is good.
I’m sorry, did you want wine with this?
**note to self..remember to take the picture BEFORE eating, not after.
Trout With Curry And Dried Plums
You know you can change the trout to salmon, if that is what you like best. I prefer the subtle flavour of the trout. Hence, I use trout.
I love the summer season because we can be outside, on our deck, dining and visiting. Of course, the barbecue doing it’s best to show off Don’s talents. How lucky can we be? This could be put into the barbecue as well. Just adjust to how you want to make it.
- 1 1/2 lb. trout fillets, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 2/3 cup Orzo pasta
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup small red onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, ribs peeled
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 x 14 1/2 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, keeping juice
- 1/2 cup dried plums, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp. curry powder
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large oven-proof pan cook and stir together the pepper, onion, celery and garlic for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice, dried plums and curry and cook a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the trout and now place in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, until the fish just begins to flake. While this is happening put 1 1/2 cups water and when boiling, add the orzo. Boil for 12-13 minutes and cover to let stand for 3 minutes. Drain and now place equal amounts into 4 large bowls.
Spoon the fish mixture over the orzo and enjoy!. Of course a glass of bubbly would be wonderful pairing.
Yummy!
Pasta Salad With Prosciutto
This makes a refreshing salad to present to family and friends. Not everyone has had this one before, so here’s another “damn I can do this” dish.
- 3/4 lb. uncooked orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup fresh peas
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 100 grams prosciutto, cooked and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh white button mushrooms
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Bring water to the boil; and cook the orzo according to package instructions. Strain and let cool.
In a mixing bowl, add the peas, tomatoes, mushrooms and prosciutto. Stir in the olive oil and lemon. Add the basil, cheese, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
Serve with a Chardonnay.