Butter poached shrimp with steel-cut oat risotto

Did you know that steel-cut oats can be used to make a delicious risotto? The result is a bit more dense and slightly chewy, but the texture makes a wonderful accompaniment to seafood. For this recipe we've poached fresh shrimp in butter for a succulent gourmet meal.

Butter poached shrimp with steel-cut oat risotto recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2-3 cups butter, cut into chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups hot chicken stock
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

To poach the shrimp:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the butter to 160 degrees F. This will be below a simmer. The size and shape of your saucepan will dictate how much butter you will need.
2. Poach the shrimp for approximately 3-5 minutes, spooning butter over the shrimp throughout the process. Monitor the temperature regularly with an instant read thermometer and move the pan on and off the heat as needed for a consistent temperature. Cut one shrimp in half to test doneness. When cooked, the shrimp should be soft, not rubbery.

To make steel-cut oat risotto:

1. Heat up the stock to a boil, then turn down the temperature slightly.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the bottom of a saucepan. Sweat the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt for several minutes.
3. Add the oats and turn up the heat. Stir occasionally and let the oats toast a bit for a few minutes.
4. Once the bottom of the pan starts getting a light glaze, deglaze with the wine, stirring briefly. After the wine has mostly soaked into the oats, add a ladle of hot stock and stir. On medium heat, add one ladle of stock at a time and let the liquid absorb almost completely before adding more. Stir regularly. Steel-cut oat risotto takes longer to make than regular risotto, approximately 30-35 minutes or until the oats are soft.
5. Begin taste testing the oats for doneness when the stock starts getting low. The oats should be soft and not overly chewy. If necessary, turn the heat down to low to allow them to continue cooking while stirring until they reach a good consistency. Season with salt and a bit of pepper. When the risotto is ready, add the Parmesan cheese.
6. Ladle the risotto into serving dishes. Top with shrimp, garnish with parsley and drizzle with butter.

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