Leek & Pea Risotto with Grilled Calamari
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Leek and pea risotto with grilled calamari crowns creamy arborio with flash-grilled squid tossed in lemon-scallion vinaigrette. Bright, briny, deeply savory.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
12 minCOOK
25 minREADY
42 minLeek and pea risotto with grilled calamari is the kind of plate that makes a risotto dinner feel like an event. The rice base stays quietly elegant with sliced leeks cooked down in olive oil and folded back in at the end, frozen peas for sweetness and color, and the usual parmesan-and-butter finish that turns arborio silky.
What sets this apart is how fast the calamari cooks. Small squid bodies hit a screaming-hot grill pan for about a minute total, pressed down with a spatula for char marks, then get tossed in a lemon-scallion vinaigrette while still warm. The acid and raw scallion bite cut through the rich risotto underneath so every bite tastes layered instead of heavy.
Chef Tips
- Keep the broth at a bare simmer the whole time. Cold broth added to risotto shocks the rice and you lose the gradual starch release that makes it creamy.
- One minute total is all the squid needs. Past that it turns rubbery and tough. Under that it stays opaque and tender.
- Stir the risotto constantly but not violently. You want to coax starch out of the grains, not mash them.
- Dress the squid while it is hot so the lemon vinaigrette soaks into the flesh. Cold squid shrugs the dressing right off.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Bring stock to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan, then keep at a bare simmer.
Whisk together 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, scallion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl to make vinaigrette.
Cook leeks in 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining tablespoon oil and rice to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated evenly, about 1 minute.
Add wine and briskly simmer, stirring, until most has been absorbed, about 1 minute.
Add 1 cup hot stock and briskly simmer, stirring constantly, until stock has been absorbed.
Continue simmering and adding hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next, until 1 cup stock is left, 15 to 18 minutes.
Add peas, leeks, and remaining cup stock and cook, stirring, until rice is just tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in butter and cheese, then remove from heat.
When last cup of stock has been added to risotto, heat grill pan over high heat until hot.
When risotto is done, season squid with ⅛ teaspoon salt and oil grill pan.
Grill squid, pressing down with a spatula and turning halfway through, until opaque and just cooked through, about 1 minute total.
Toss with enough lemon vinaigrette to coat.
Serve risotto topped with calamari and drizzled with any remaining lemon vinaigrette.
Comments
