Crab & Pea Risotto (with secret ingredient)

On Father's Day I went out to dinner with mom, dad and husband. We visited a place called Touch of Venice in Cutchogue, NY. On the specials, it listed crab risotto (with peas, and a light tomato sauce) so you know I had to order it. It was so darn good, I couldn't wait to get home and try my own version in the upcoming weeks. I knew I wanted a hint of lemon in there, so lemon zest was a great touch. I couldn't figure out what I should do to compare to the light tomato sauce so I went searching in my cabinet. I found Sazòn goya which is what I use in stew, Spanish rice, and other ethnic dishes. It is a packet of seasoning and really brightens up a dish with it's sunset coloring. The sazòn was my secret ingredient in this recipe! There is a link below to this product, and it is found almost any grocery store.

We had two pieces of marinated filet mignon from Tuscany Gourmet market  which was the perfect side to this delicate dish. My husband is really getting good on that grill!

- Crab & Pea Risotto, with a Spanish twist -

Ingredients:
1 tbs butter
1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 to 4 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1/4 cup peas (if frozen, thaw for a bit)
3 tbs fresh grated parmesan cheese
Small amount of lemon zest
1 tbs butter
1 cup of lump crab (we used imitation crab)
Secret ingredient: Sazòn Goya, 1 packet


Directions:
1. In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer and leave on low.

2. In a large sauté pan, melt butter with olive oil on medium high heat. Sauté shallots for five minutes, or until translucent.

3. Add rice to sauté pan and stir until coated. Add white wine to satué pan and stir until absorbed.

4. Slowly add one ladle of broth at a time to the rice mixture. Stir constantly in a slapping motion (not circular) until the broth is absorbed. While stirring in your last ladle of broth into the mixture, add the remaining ingredients to the dish (peas, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, butter, crab and the sazòn packet),. Stir everything together and heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.

After dinner it was nice to sit on the deck and enjoy a 

bottle of our favorite champagne! Life is good!