The thing of it is Paul Newman and his pal and partner, A. E. Hotchner, really did bottle Newman's salad dressing in a basement as Christmas gifts to friends and family. They really did ignore all manner of sane, well-reasoned advice from food production experts, and went commercial on a $40,000 budget. And they really, truly have, in the course of 15 years
This is a springtime risotto if there ever was one. If you can enlist a sous-chef or helper at the stove for the last few minutes of cooking, do so. One of you should stir the risotto; the other should attend to the bay scallops and vegetables. With attention like that to each part of the dish, there's much less likelihood of overcooking the scallops, something you don't want to do.
Serves 6
Risotto
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 to 6 cups homemade or natural (MSG-free) chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups bay scallops
1 up chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup 1/2-inch asparagus pieces, cut on the diagonal
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
To make the risotto: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat it evenly. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Add the stock by the ladleful, stirring it slowly into the rice until fully absorbed. Keep adding the stock by the ladleful and stirring it in. The risotto is done when the mixture is creamy but the rice is firm to the bite, a total of about 20 to 25 minutes. There should be almost no liquid remaining in the pan. Do not feel obliged to use all the stock but do stir constantly.
While you are cooking the risotto, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not colored. Add the scallops and toss quickly with the garlic. Add the tomatoes and asparagus, and saute the mixture, tossing until the scallops are cooked through but the vegetable are still crisp-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
Add the risotto to the scallops and vegetables, and stir to combine well. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Serve at once in heated bowls or soup plates, with the remaining 1/4 cup of the cheese on the side.
