Ingredients
2 cups (500ml) good-quality chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
16 fresh sage leaves
70 g pancetta or prosciutto
2 French shallots (eschallots), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
¾ cup (165g) Arborio rice or other risotto rice
¼ cup white wine
½ cup peas (optional)
2 tsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 ½ tbsp butter
8 scallops
Method
- Place stock in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, cover and keep at a simmer over a low heat. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frypan over a medium-high heat. Add 14 sage leaves and fry for 1 minute, or until they turn bright green. Remove and drain on paper towel, leaving oil in the frypan. Add half the pancetta to the frypan and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside on paper towel.
- Roughly chop the remaining 2 sage leaves and pancetta, add to the frypan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly until the pancetta is crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel, leaving the oil in the frypan.
- Reduce heat to medium, then add shallots and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes or until softened. Add rice and stir to coat in the olive oil, cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir, cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of hot stock and stir. Cook over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding stock, stirring occasionally until all the stock has been incorporated. If using peas, add when the final cup of stock is added.
- The risotto is cooked when the rice is tender, but still has a slight bite to the grain and the dish is moist not dry. Stir in chopped pancetta, chopped sage and parsley, and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Add 2 teaspoons of butter, cover frypan and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- While risotto is resting, heat remaining butter and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small frypan over a high heat. Once butter has melted and is bubbling, add scallops and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden. Arrange scallops and large pieces of crisp pancetta on top of the risotto, scatter over fried sage leaves. Serve immediately.
