Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Bacon originally published as The Evolution of a Recipe on Food and Fond Memories on March 11, 2011 by sandyaxelrod 4 Comments (Edit)
Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Bacon
Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Applewood Smoked Bacon
Do you ever wonder how new recipes are developed? For me sometimes the best dishes that I create are the ones that I call my garbage meals. I know that doesn’t seem appetizing but trust me they usually are. This is what happens – I open the fridge and notice that I have produce that needs to be cooked right away or it will have to be tossed. Next I rummage through the freezer to see what protein I have on hand that would pair well with those tired veggies and then I begin cooking. The results are usually so delicious that I have to write them down immediately or I will forget what I did. This time however my recipe evolved in a totally different way. It actually began with a recipe from a cookbook I was reading. Yes, I actually read cookbooks the way most people read novels. While sipping my morning French Roast I came across a recipe in Susan Spicer’s first book “Crescent City Cooking” that sounded so enticing that I had to make it right away. Steve and I have eaten her food many times at her wonderful restaurant Bayona in our favorite food destination city New Orleans and her dishes are always spectacular. I scoped out my refrigerator and pantry and realized I did not have 2 of the needed ingredients, Angostura bitters and medium or long grain white rice. I did have short grain brown rice so I figured that would work but the bitters were another story. A Google search revealed the components of the bitters, items I actually had on hand. Usually when I make a new recipe for the first time I try to follow the chef’s instructions to a T but this time I had no choice but to be a little creative on my own. The finished product was quite successful but since the recipe made enough for 4 I put the leftovers away for another day. In the interim I decided that the recipe could use a little tweaking. I added lardons of Applewood Smoked Bacon for a little crunch and smokiness and some peas for sweetness. The result was spectacular! Though we were quite stuffed Steve and I could not stop eating until every last grain of rice was consumed.
Mise en Place for my Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Applewood Smoked Bacon
Rendering the fat from the bacon
Bacon lardons getting nice and golden brown!
Risotto bubbling away!
Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Applewood Smoked Bacon Cooking in the Pan
Crabby Risotto with Coconut Milk and Applewood Smoked Bacon
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon,
cut into lardons which are thin slivers a little less that 1/2″ wide)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups short grain brown rice
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
1–13 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 lime, juice and grated zest
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Hot sauce (I liked Sriracha in this)
1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and tarragon, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4 quart sauté pan or Dutch oven and add the bacon. Cook until crisp, remove the bacon to drain on paper towels and reserve.
- Put the butter in the pan and when the foam subsides add the onion, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes then add the curry powder, coriander, cardamom, salt and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes longer. Add the rice and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crabmeat, coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups water, lime juice and zest and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Add the frozen peas and the reserved bacon to the pan and cook about 5 minutes longer to heat through.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered, for and additional 10 minutes. Stir the rice and taste for seasoning adding salt and hot sauce to taste. Serve garnished with scallions and herbs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Seafood
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Creole
