brown butter risotto with spinach and pan-fried shrimp
Risotto can be a simple, one-pot wonder to please a crowd or just yourself on a cold winter night. You can add many different combinations of vegetables, protein, cheese, and spices depending on your preferences and taste. This recipe starts with brown butter, which yields a deep, rich, and nutty flavor, perfect as a complement to Parmesan cheese. The spinach and shrimp provide extra color and texture. I would suggest pairing this with the white wine of your choice - and you can also use some of the wine to deglaze the rice while preparing the risotto.
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Butter (1/2 cup, or 1 stick)
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White onion (1 whole, medium sized)
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Arborio rice (2 cups)
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White wine (1/2 cup)
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Chicken broth (6 cups)
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Parmesan cheese (1 cup, grated)
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Spinach (2 cups, fresh)
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Lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
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Olive oil (1 tablespoon)
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Shrimp (1 pound, large shell-on, uncooked when you purchase; remove shell and vein from each shrimp before cooking)
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Salt (1 teaspoon)
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Fresh ground pepper (1 teaspoon)
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Add the stick of butter to a large pot (Dutch Oven) or deep skillet.
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Cook the butter on low heat until a deep brown color (about 10 minutes); stir occasionally to prevent burning.
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While the butter is cooking, chop the onion into small, bite-sized pieces.
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Add the onion to the butter once the butter has browned. Stir the butter and onion for about five minutes until the onions are cooked through and slightly caramelized.
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Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon to evenly coat the rice in the butter and toast it over the heat. Continue stirring slowly for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Deglaze the rice with the wine; use the wooden spoon to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
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Add 1/2 cup of broth at a time; each time you add broth, stir and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Repeat until you use all the broth.
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Taste the rice to check that it is cooked through. Add more broth if necessary.
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Once the rice is cooked and very creamy, add the cheese and spinach and stir until spinach is wilted and cooked and evenly distributed throughout the rice.
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In a separate frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and make sure they are evenly distributed in the pan so they get even heat.
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Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes and then flip; cook another 2 minutes until the shrimp are opaque and pink. Remove the shrimp from heat.
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To serve, stir in the salt and pepper into the risotto and then pour risotto into a large bowl. Top with the shrimp and additional Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper.