The High Holy Corn Season is Upon Us

Here's another wonderful idea to take advantage of your local sweet corn: Food and Wine's Fresh Corn Risotto. I added shrimp to make it a complete meal and some garlic and fresh thyme because I love them so. YUMMY and easy! (Naturally, Cyd and I enjoyed pronouncing it riz-AH-toh like Gordon Ramsey and cussing at each other that it was "still crunchy and f***ing RAWWWWR!" even though it wasn't. Tee hee.)

To the base recipe, I added about a couple of cloves of minced garlic at the end of the saute, a pound of shrimp in the last couple of minutes of cooking (although, in retrospect, the carryover heat might have done the trick) along with about a tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves. Oh, and I doubled the corn (=four ears, not two), because more is MORE!

Shrimp and Fresh Corn Risotto
(Source: adapted from Food and Wine)

6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (12 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears)
1 pound raw, peeled medium shrimp
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil with the bay leaf. Keep the stock warm over very low heat.

In a large skillet or braiser, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about two minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring until opaque, about three minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, about one minute. Avoiding the bay leaf, add one cup of the warm stock and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until nearly absorbed. Continue adding the stock one cup at a time and stirring until it is absorbed between additions. After about half of the stock has been added, stir in the corn, then add the remaining stock.

The rice is done when it's al dente and creamy, about 25 minutes total. At the last minute of cooking, add the shrimp. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and butter; season with salt and pepper and serve.

P.S. "They say" that you can't reheat risotto, but I find that to be completely untrue. The next day, put the cold risotto into a skillet with another cup of stock and heat it slowly, stirring occasionally. When that liquid is absorbed, you may want to add one more cup of stock, and cook it until it comes back to the desired consistency. (You may wish to fish the shrimp out before you do this so as to not rubberize them in the reheating process.)