This is it folks, we’ve made it to the final round of the Marx Foods Integrale Gauntlet!
I’m honored to have been selected for the final round and to be competing amongst such talented bloggers.
My first two dishes, I went big and bold in flavors and presentation. For this round, our requirement is to take a picture so mouth watering you can taste the flavors right off of your computer screen. I wanted to go with something that was fresh, simple and seasonal. A flavor profile that was easy to create in your mind by just looking at a photo.
Truth be told, I love lemon in all types of dishes, savory and sweet. The zest brings so much brightness to a dish and the juice just the right amount of acid to round it out.
Then I received these beautiful fava beans in my CSA this week, it was like they were meant to go into my risotto. The work involved to shell the favas is payoff enough for the nutty flavored beans that compliment the Integrale rice so nicely.
3-4
Fava beans have an outer and inner shell. It takes a bit of work to get to the actual bean, but the taste of fresh fava beans can't be beat. The process is rather simple, just snap the end of the bean and remove the string on the seam. A fresh pod, should contain about 5-6 good size beans. Then blanch the beans and remove the waxy inner shell. You should be able to pinch the shell to remove the bean, but having a small paring knife nearby is helpful for any difficult ones.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fava beans, still in their pods
- 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup Integrale rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup parmigiana cheese, grated
- Juice from one lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the fava beans from their pod and blanch in a pot of salted boiling water for 30 seconds.
- Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water and then remove their outer shell. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the shrimp, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, minced garlic and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside to marinate.
- In a medium stock pot, bring the chicken stock to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low, keeping the stock warm while making the risotto.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, heated on medium drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and toast, stirring, for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the wine, cooking until mostly absorbed by the rice.
- In 1/2 cup increments, ladle the chicken stock into the rice, stirring occasionally. You may or may not use all 4 cups of stock. Cook until the rice is toothsome and creamy.
- Meanwhile, while the risotto is cooking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay the shrimp on a parchment lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minute or until pink and completely cook through. Remove and set aside.
- To finish the risotto, mix in the parmigiana cheese, lemon zest, juice and fava beans. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with shrimp on top and additional lemon slices.
I’d like to wish best of luck to the remaining competitors, it has been a pleasure – Oh Cake, Cookistry, Food for Thought, The DelGrosso Food Blog and Great Outdoors Cooking. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Marx Foods supplied all of the contestants participating in the Integral Gauntlet with a box of rice for our use.
You have accomplished your goal.
My mouth started watering and I could taste that lemony shrimp without the plate in front of me.
Beautiful pics!
Have I told you lately that I love you? You rock Jen, that is all! 🙂
Just dropping by to say hi and tell you that I nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award… http://definitelyleopard.com/2012/06/24/the-versatile-blogger-award.aspx
Thank you Beth, you are too kind!
Congrats for making it to the final round. The picture of your Lemon Risotto with Fava Beans and Shrimp is really mouth watering. Good luck in this final round.
Thank you so much Norma!
Those pictures really are GORGEOUS!!! Congrats girl! Good luck, *fingers crossed* (also–teeheee, Hunger Games reference :P)
ha! yes!!! I’ve been waiting for someone to notice! It felt like the perfect opportunity to toss it in there! I mean, I didn’t have any chianti laying around for the Silence of the Lambs reference, so I figured I’d get another one in for the competition! Thanks Kayle!
wow, you totally came up with another awesome dish for the competition! i love it! that picture is most definitely mouthwatering and it is just oozing freshness.
The shrimp are gorgeous and mouth-watering, and I like the addition of the fava beans with the lemon risotto.
Congrats on the Top 9 today!
Congratulations on your foodbuzz top 9, today!
Good luck! Fabulous dish – I love anything with lemon, too and recently “discovered” fava beans. Lol, funny Terra should mentioned “Silence of the Lambs” – my daughter reminded me of the scene and it flashes through my mind at the mention of fava beans 🙂
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