Avgolemono Rice

After sharing my friend’s Greek Meat Stuffing recipe, I realized that I have other Greek-inspired dishes to share. As avgolemono soup is one of my all-time favorites, I must say that the star of this dish is the creamy but cream-less egg-lemon sauce. It seems to bring brightness that should be served in springtime. 🙂

This dish was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Gabrielle Hamilton. I used chicken stock instead of lamb stock. The author states that it is easier to perfect the rice by cooking it pasta style, in seasoned, boiling water. She also suggests using the delicious sauce with asparagus, roasted salmon, or poached chicken. Nice.

Yield: Serves 4

• coarse salt, for cooking rice and for seasoning the sauce
• 1 ¼ cups jasmine or Basmati rice
• 1 cup frozen small peas
• 2 cups homemade brown lamb stock, turkey stock, or chicken stock
• 5 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 scallions, sliced in 1/3-inch rings, on a slight bias
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 8 cups of water to a rolling boil. Season lightly with salt.
2. Rinse the rice, and pour into boiling water, stirring well to keep grains from clumping. When the water returns to a boil, lower heat a little to a gentle boil, and cook the rice “pasta-style” until just done. (I cooked the rice 8-9 minutes.)
3. Drain the rice through a fine-mesh colander, giving it a couple of hearty shakes to remove the last of the water.
4. Immediately spread cooked rice out on a sheet pan lined with parchment to cool quickly. Do not pat down or pack the rice — you want it fluffy and to be able to cool and dry quickly.
5. Rinse the peas under cool water briefly to remove any frosty crystals.
6. Bring the stock to a simmer.
7. In a stainless bowl, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together until fully incorporated.
8. In a slow steady stream, while constantly whisking, add half the hot stock into the yolks. Then whisk the egg-lemon mixture back into the remaining stock.
9. Return the pot to the stove, and simmer (still whisking constantly so as not to cook the egg too fast and too hard), until the avgolemono sauce is full-bodied, approximately the consistency of buttermilk — a minute or 90 seconds more.
10. Stir in the scallions, then the peas, and when they both turn bright green, turn off the heat, and stir in the rice.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The rice should be as soupy as risi e bisi (Italian rice and peas) and as creamy as risotto.

One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes

This dish is amazing summertime comfort food as well as a great dish to make celebrating summer tomatoes. It is a variation of a delicious Martha Stewart Living one-pot pasta dish that I’ve also enjoyed and posted in the past.

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant & Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman, via smitten kitchen.com. I increased the quantity to make 4 main course servings, modified the proportions, and used a Vidalia onion as well as freshly picked vine-ripened tomatoes. (from a friend- lucky me!) The fresh backyard basil was the icing on the cake.

Serves: 4 as a main dish, 3 as a hearty main dish, or about 6 as a side dish

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups semi-pearled farro (the package will note a 30-minute cooking time)(I have used Nature’s Promise farro & Trader Joe’s “10 minute” farro))
• 1 large onion, preferably Vidalia
• 4 cloves garlic
• a generous pound or grape, cherry, or small vine-ripened tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons, for garnish
• freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

1. Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to presoak (5 to 10 minutes is sufficient) while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Adding each ingredient to the pot as you finish preparing it, cut onion in half, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons.
3. Thinly slice garlic cloves as well.
4. Halve or quarter the tomatoes.
5. Add salt, red pepper flakes (to taste) and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil to pan, and set a timer for 30 minutes.
6. Bring uncovered pan up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. (I used a medium-size enameled cast iron pot.)
7. When the timer rings, the farro should be perfectly cooked (tender but with a meaty chew), seasoned and the cooking water should be almost completely absorbed. If needed, cook it for 5 additional minutes, until farro is more tender.
8. Adjust seasonings as desired.
9. Transfer to a wide serving bowl. If there’s enough leftover cooking liquid to be bothersome, simply use a slotted spoon to leave the amount you wish to behind.
10. Drizzle farro lightly with additional olive oil, scatter with basil and parmesan. Serve immediately.

Baked Shrimp Risotto with Pesto

We’ve had a touch of spring for a couple of days in Long Island. It has been SO sunny, warm and nice. 🙂 It made me think of this dish because the pesto and lemon gave it a lot of brightness. Fortunately, I freeze giant cubes of freshly made pesto made after my final summer basil harvest.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Kay Chun. I added shallots and onions and increased the stock, garlic and the amount of lemon juice. The original recipe doesn’t incorporate white wine, and the dish was lovely without it, but I may consider adding some for extra flavor next time. I also used uncooked shrimp; it cooked very quickly in the hot risotto.

Even though I love making risotto in my pressure cooker, I’m not sure why making risotto on the stove is even necessary when it’s so simple to prepare in the oven! This dish was beyond easy to make, quick, and really delicious.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 7 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine, optional
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• 24 shelled shrimp (I used 1 pound of 21-25 count shrimp)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• fresh lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
• coarse salt
• pesto sauce, for serving (I used one giant cube of basil pesto, about 2-3 T)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°, preferably on convection.
2. In an enameled medium cast-iron casserole or pan with a lid, heat the olive oil.
3. Add the shallots and onion, and cook until soft but not brown.
4. Add the garlic and rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until very fragrant, 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil.
6. Cover and bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, until the rice is tender.
7. Stir in the 1/2 cup of cheese, the shrimp, butter and lemon juice; season with salt. (The shrimp is cooked when it becomes fully pink.)
8. Serve drizzled or mixed with pesto. Garnish with cheese.

One Year Ago: Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

Two Years Ago: Classic Shrimp & Grits

Three Years Ago: Greek Red Lentil Soup

Four Years Ago:

• Mushroom Risotto with Spring Herbs
• Roasted Salmon with Herbed Yogurt

Five Years Ago:

• Shrimp in Spiced Tomato Sauce
• Lentil-Kielbasa Soup
• French Onion Soup

Baked Risotto with Peas, Asparagus, & Pancetta

In case you were worried that I wasn’t embracing early spring vegetables… I have another asparagus and pea recipe to share! 😉

I almost exclusively use my pressure cooker just to make risotto. It converts an otherwise time-consuming dish into a lovely weeknight meal. Well, baking risotto performs similar magic. Fabulous!

This recipe was adapted from TheKitchn.com, contributed by Nealey Dozier. This risotto could also be par-baked in advance, the night before, and reheated on the stovetop with one or two cups of additional stock prior to serving. Perfect when entertaining guests.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 4 ounces finely chopped pancetta (or olive oil for vegetarian version)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 large shallots (4 cloves), finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 pound pencil-thin asparagus stalks, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven 400°F, preferably on convection.
2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter and shallots to the pancetta drippings and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and sauté until every grain is coated with butter, about 1 minute.
4. Increase heat to high. Pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid evaporates. Add stock and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the liquid is almost cooked out and the risotto is creamy, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and place over moderate heat. Stir in peas and asparagus and cook until the vegetables are bright green and warmed through, about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with additional Parmesan and reserved pancetta.

To Make in Advance: Bake the risotto for 15 – 20 minutes. Cool and transfer to the refrigerator. When ready to serve, add 1 1/2 cups hot stock and vegetables and cook over medium heat until warm. Stir in the butter, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Season to taste.

One Year Ago:

• Easy Arroz con Pollo

Two Years Ago:

• Asparagus & Fava Beans with Toasted Almonds
• Mushroom Bourguignon

Three Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Spicy Herb & Garlic Bread Loaf

Four Years Ago:

• Gnocchi with Bacon & Tomato