Cook the Book: Gazpacho Risotto with Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1.8 cups arborio rice 
• 0.1 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 8 large cucumber peeled cut into 2-inch chunks
• 0.5 cup sherry dry
• 2  garlic clove minced
• 6  jalapeno seeded finely chopped
• 4 servings kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 0.3 cup parsley chopped
• 12  plum tomatoes halved
• 3 tablespoons onion red minced finely chopped (or)
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 
• 1 pound shrimp shelled deveined
• 1.5 cups sacremento tomato juice 
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 3  bell pepper yellow

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• oven
• knife

Directions

1. The night or morning before serving this risotto, preheat the oven to 200F.
2. Place the halved tomatoes, seed-pockets up, on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven for 8 hours, until the tomatoes are concentrated and meaty but not dry. If not using right away, place in a sealed plastic container and refrigerate until needed.
4. An hour before serving, toss the shrimp, garlic, a light sprinkling of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
5. Place the yellow peppers directly on a burner and char over a gas flame, turning as necessary to blacken evenly on all sides. Alternatively, place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning as necessary, until the skins blacken on all sides.
6. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with a towel to allow them to steam for at least 15 minutes. Using your fingers or a paring knife, peel and seed the peppers, cut into 1/4-inch dice, and reserve.
7. Chop each roasted tomato half into 6 pieces.
8. Combine them with the yellow peppers in a medium bowl and toss with the sherry wine vinegar.
9. Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is quite hot but not smoking, sauté the jalapeños, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
10. Add the shallots, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper and sauté 2 minutes, until the shallots are soft.
11. Add the rice and stir about 2 minutes, until all the kernels are coated with oil.
12. Lower the heat to medium and add the sherry. Stir until the sherry is absorbed. Begin adding the cucumber-tomato juice, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow each addition of juice to be absorbed before adding more. Continue until the risotto is creamy and the rice grains are al dente, 25 to 30 minutes.
13. Stir in the jalapeño, tomato-yellow pepper mixture, butter, and half of the parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and cover the saucepan.
14. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot but not smoking, add the shrimp and saute, stirring, just until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
15. Serve the risotto in warm shallow bowls, topped with equal portions of the seared shrimp and the remaining parsley.