RSS    

Fresh peas are among my favorite signs of springtime. I enjoy their sweet flavor, tender texture, and bright green color. And I also love their versatility.

Quickly steamed or boiled, peas are wonderful simply tossed with butter and fresh herbs. You can add them to a stir-fry of mixed vegetables. Toss them with steamed rice in a pilaf; or with fresh pasta in cream sauce, maybe also adding some chopped ham or crumbled bacon. I also enjoy combining them with potatoes and spices to fill the Indian-style turnovers called samosas. Or I'll make them one of the ingredients in the Italian flat omelet known as a frittata.

Then there's pea soup. Pureeing cooked fresh peas with broth and touches of butter or cream seems only to make their color even more vivid, their flavor even more appealing.

You can see how much power peas have to excite a chef's imagination. And the recipe I'd like to share with you today is yet another example of their seemingly unlimited range of uses.

Here, peas become a sauce that beautifully harmonizes with a tangy lemon-scented risotto and plump pan-seared sea scallops. Yes, the dish looks and tastes as elegant as it sounds. Yet, it is also surprisingly easy to prepare, especially with the help of some simple tips, making it a dish you could enjoy for casual family meals and special dinner parties alike.

First, of course, come the peas. You'll need about 1-1/4 pounds of fresh peas in the pod to get the 1 cup of shelled peas called for in the recipe. They're easy to shell: Just use your thumbs to split open each pod along its seam; then, sweep a thumb through the pod to push the peas into a bowl.

For the risotto, look for Arborio rice in the grains section of well-stocked supermarkets, or in Italian delis or specialty foods stores. This plump short-grained variety has the surface starch that, with the help of diligent stirring, dissolves to make a creamy sauce, while the grains turn pleasingly chewy.

As for the scallops, buy ones that look moist and plump, with a fresh, clean scent of the sea. Be sure to cook them quickly over high heat, so they develop a golden brown surface while staying tender and moist inside. Feel free to replace the scallops with fresh shrimp, or substitute sauteed salmon fillets or even chicken breasts or medallions of lamb.

And there's one final secret to share. Frozen baby peas, also known by the French petits pois, are among the few vegetables that are excellent substitutes for fresh. So, if you enjoy this recipe, you can even go on making it for a year-round taste of spring.

LEMON RISOTTO WITH FRESH PEA SAUCE AND SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Serves 4

PEA SAUCE:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup shelled fresh peas

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup water

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

LEMON RISOTTO:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup Arborio rice

3 ounces dry white wine

1 cup organic chicken broth

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

SCALLOPS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

12 large fresh sea scallops, trimmed of any connective tissue, rinsed, and patted completely dry with paper towels

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

First, make the Pea Sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until translucent but not yet browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the peas, thyme, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the peas are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and, following the manufacturer's instructions and taking care to avoid spattering, blend while adding the butter piece by piece. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to the saucepan and keep warm.

For the Lemon Risotto, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until translucent but not yet browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rice until it looks glossy. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated completely. Add the chicken broth and simmer gently while stirring constantly, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the butter and continue cooking gently, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the risotto is almost done, gently rewarm the sauce in its pan, and also start cooking the Seared Scallops.

For the scallops, heat a skillet, large enough to hold them without crowding, over high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and, as soon as the butter begins to foam, quickly season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper and put them in the skillet. Cook until seared golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Spoon the warm pea sauce onto individual heated serving plates. Mound the finished risotto in the middle of each plate. The moment the scallops are done, arrange them around the risotto. Serve immediately.

 RSS    

MORE RECIPES:   DESSERT | PASTA | SEAFOOD | WOLFGANG PUCK

Recipes

 

More Recipes

Available at Amazon.com:

Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips

Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic

Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker

The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor

Stonewall Kitchen: Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes for Cooking Outdoors All Year Long

Luscious Coconut Desserts

Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients

The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern

Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours

Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys

Teen Cuisine

Simple Comforts: 50 Heartwarming Recipes

Lemon Risotto with Fresh Pea Sauce and Seared Sea Scallops - Wolfgang Puck Recipes

(c) 2011 WOLFGANG PUCK WORLDWIDE, INC. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.