Winner, Winner, Crab Dinner

We went Snow Crab style for the Risotto

I think we may have a winner, folks.  The crab risotto experiment we tackled for the first time about a month or so ago was probably my favorite of all the different crab recipes we've been attempting over the last few months.  Definitely in the top 3.  We made it again last week because it was FABU, as my cousin Patty would say.

It was so creamy and delicious, no doubt one to add to the crab rotation.  The funny thing is, I think my favorite way to prepare crab is just straight steaming.  We've tip-toed into all kinds of crazy recipes lately, but you just can't go wrong with some simple steamed legs that you can crack into and dip into a little melted butter.  Add a baked potato and a salad, and it's the perfect meal.  That being said...holy Lord was this risotto good!

If you're a Food Network watcher, you'll probably be familiar with Robert Irvine, the Restaurant Impossible guy.  The risotto recipe we used was his - you can get it here if you're interested.  The only tweak I would recommend is cutting back on some of the chives.  The final result could have used a little less of that onion-y flavor.  Actually, we'll probably just cut out the chives altogether next time we make it.

Lots 'o stirring with the risotto - Not sure what he's looking at!

We veered from the recipe a little by adding peas to it.  According to the hubby, peas are a traditional risotto ingredient, so it was a non-negotiable tweak.

I'm all on board with a vegetable addition to any dish at any time!  I can't dispute the healthy-it-up factor, even though peas aren't on the short list of my preferred vegetables.  They totally worked in the risotto, though.  It was a nice sweetness among all the savory and rich flavors it had going on.

I think one of the reasons why this dish was so good was the truffle oil.  Truffle oil makes everything fancy and delicious.  We've added truffle oil to macaroni and cheese in the past, and it just bumps the dish up to that standout level.

And you really can't go wrong when you add Parmigiano-Reggiano.  I challenge you to find a savory dish that isn't complimented by the king of cheese.  I guess it helps that I'm a sucker for anything Italian. Perhaps it wouldn't go as well with...let's say tacos. 

Anyway, here's our final plated crab risotto, a la Robert Irvine:

No doubt, this one is one of my favorite crab experiments so far.  Robert Irvine ain't messing around!

Ta-ta for now.