Last weekend my wife made it clear that she’s done with summer food, and I couldn’t agree more.  After a season-long barrage of poorly grilled chicken (clearly not by these guys), overdone burgers, and dumb salads, she was ready for the comforting, slow cooked flavors of the fall.  My daughter however was fiercely opposed to this shift, still campaigning  for her new favorite summer dish, grilled shrimp.  This dish made all of the ladies in my house happy… a result rarely achieved by most of the decisions I make.  I ended up sauteing the shrimp stove top instead of grilling in the rain, but my daughter didn’t seem to mind.

I do worry that she filed this away with other supposed slights, ready to be used against me during the inevitable disagreements concerning middle school culture.  For now I’ll just enjoy the contented silence at our dinner table, from all of the ladies in my house.

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

• bring stock  to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Saute onion until soft. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add warm stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Remove from heat. Add  mint, rind, and juice;  Keep warm.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and shrimp; sauté for 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Divide risotto evenly among 4 small bowls or plates, and arrange shrimp evenly over risotto. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped mint, if desired.