Saffron orzo with shrimp (recipe in the comments)
Zucchini and red onion
Hot tea
Today was the first day of a new semester and M started teaching two new courses today! They both went wonderfully, so we were looking for a semi-celebrational dinner. This fits the bill. We got this recipe from a Giada cookbook (of Food Network fame)my mom brought during a fall visit to Buffalo, but we have changed both the ingredients and the preparation extensively. That said, the deeply saffron infused orzo is hers and it makes the base of this dish. Saffron is very expensive, but the price drops dramatically if you buy it at an ethnic grocery store, like an Indian grocery. At our supermarket it was over $14 for .1 oz and I paid $6.40 for 1 full oz at the Indian grocery. This doesn't use a whole ounce so you have extra for other dishes or even doing this again! This was an excellent meal to kick off the new semester!
Prep notes
Difficulty: Easy
Chopping: Parsley, lemon, zucchini, onion
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: This is best fresh, but keeps very well. If you haven't had it fresh, you'd think leftovers were amazing :)
Reaction
J: "Thank you for bringing the inspiration, Mom!"
M: "Saffron decadence."
1 comment:
Saffron Orzo with Shrimp – J & M (inspired by Giada De Laurentiis)
Serves 3-4
4 cups chicken broth
1 t saffron threads
1 lb orzo
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb large, peeled, and deveined shrimp
½ cup chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
Splash of white wine
Juice of ½ lemon, plus more to taste
½ t pepper
¾ t salt
Bring the broth to a boil, lower the heat until the broth simmers and add the saffron. Stirring occasionally, simmer the saffron until it has “bloomed”, about 4-5 minutes. Return to a boil, add the orzo and cook until done. There should be very little liquid left. Set orzo aside until the shrimp is done.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until they are just turning pink, flipping once during cooking (about 2 minutes per side). Remove from heat and toss shrimp with parsley, wine, lemon, pepper, and salt. Toss shrimp with orzo. Taste for wine, lemon, pepper, and salt.
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