Rosie Makes Youngest Hawthorne's Birthday Dinner.

Last Wednesday was Youngest Hawthorne's birthday

and every year he requests this meal -

seared scallops with basil pesto and caramelized onions

on a Parmesan crisp

atop a bed of risotto with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

And every year, I comply.

It's one of my favorite meals.

First, I'm making the Parmesan crisps.

I grated a heapin' pile of Parmesan.

Press a layer of the grated Parmesan into a round.

I always use parchment paper.

Makes it easier to remove from the pan,

plus no clean-up.

Bake in a 425° oven until lightly browned.

Let cool a few minutes,

then remove from pan.

Set on paper towels.

Next, I prepped for the risotto.

Pour boiling water over the dried tomatoes and ...

...  cover with a plate.

Let soften at least 20 minutes.

I chopped up two handfuls of fresh spinach,

1/2 onion, and the softened sun-dried tomatoes.

While the sun-dried tomatoes were soaking,

 I started on the caramelized onions.

I sliced up the other half of the onion

and poured it into butter over medium heat.

I add about 1/2 tsp sugar

to help caramelize.

Keep cooking, stirring occasionally,

until lightly browned.

Add in a splash of wine.

Let simmer a bit.

This is the color you want.

Set aside and keep warm.

Now, back to the risotto.

I sautéed the chopped onions in butter

for a minute or two,

then added in 1 1/2 cups arborio rice.

I added in a bit more butter.

Cook for a few minutes.

I heated up three cans of chicken broth.

Pour in about 1/4 cup at a time,

stirring, and let the rice absorb the broth,

then add in another 1/4 cup.

Keep adding and cooking,
letting the rice absorb the liquid,
 until the rice is done.

Takes about  30-40 minutes.

When the rice was cooked,

I seasoned with Kosher salt

and added some heavy cream - about 1/3 - 1/2 cup.

Add in the chopped spinach

and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and ...

... the sun dried tomatoes.

Cook for a minute, stirring.

Set aside, cover, and keep warm.

Now, for the scallops:

I rinsed my scallops off,

then dried on paper towels.

Season with freshly ground pepper.

Scallops need no salt.

I heated up my skillet

and added a tablespoon each butter and oil.

Heat to 350°.

Add in the scallops and cook for about a minute.

Turn on the other side and cook about a minute.

I like to add a splash of chardonnay to deglaze the pan.

Do NOT overcook scallops.

Bed of creamy spinach and sun dried tomato risotto

with a Parmesan crisp,

caramelized onions, 

seared scallops,

and basil pesto.

I always have basil pesto in my freezer

thanks to my annual Hurricane Harvest.

 

This makes my mouth happy!

Happy Birthday, Youngest Hawthorne!