Charred Corn Risotto with Herb Shrimp Skewers

Every Wednesday in the Spring and Summer we have a small Farmer's Market across the street from our apartment, so Mack and I headed across the street today to pick up some fresh produce.  We came back with some fresh corn that I decided to grill up and toss into some risotto.  To take the dish to the next level, I marinated some shrimp in a mustard herb sauce, skewered them and threw them on the grill as well. The result was pure deliciousness.  

*This recipe will serve 2-3 people with some leftover risotto for lunch the next day.

Charred Corn Risotto

3 1/2 c. chicken broth

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 large onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 c. arborio rice

1/2 c. good white wine

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1 c. of grilled corn kernels (about 4 ears of corn)

2 scallions, finely chopped (separate the whites and greens)

salt and pepper

Pour the chicken broth into a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until you are ready to add it to the rice.  Stick the corn on the grill and continue turning until each side is charred.  When the corn is ready, remove it from the grill and cut the corn kernels off the cobs.

In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Add the onion and white parts of the scallions and saute until translucent (about 8 minutes). Next, add the garlic for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Now add the arborio rice.  Stir together and allow the rice to toast for a minute or two.

Then, add the wine.  Stir together until most of the rice has absorbed the liquid.  Using a soup ladle, add about a 1/2 c. of the broth to the rice.  Stir constantly, again until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.  Repeat until all of the chicken broth has been incorporated into the rice.  

Turn off the heat, add the Parmesan, corn, and green parts of the scallions.  Gently stir everything together.

Herb Shrimp Skewers

12-16 extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined but with the tails still on

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. Herbs de Provence

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper

 

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the oil, the mustards, herbs, salt and pepper.  Mix everything together and add the shrimp.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow the shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  (Make the shrimp before you start the risotto so that they can marinate while you make the risotto.  Then you can quickly grill the shrimp while you add the finishing touches to the risotto.)

Skewer the shrimp.  You can do this however you want.  I had small skewers, so I put three shrimp on each, but if you have larger skewers you can up the number.  Spray your grill with a non-stick spray and grill the shrimp about 2-3 minutes per side.  This is super quick and easy to do right before you plate.

Scoop some ooey-gooey risotto on a plate, place the shrimp skewers on top, and you're ready to eat!