Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders - Emeril Lagasse [12]
5 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about ¾ cup)
1. Place the stock in a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it is crisp and has released most of its fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is opaque, 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup of the hot stock to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed the stock, about 3 minutes. Continue adding the stock in ½-cup increments, adding more stock only as each previous addition has been absorbed, until the rice is nearly al dente, about 18 minutes from the time you began adding the stock. You should have about ½ cup of stock left.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1½ minutes, or until the tomatoes have released some of their liquid and have softened a bit. Add the spinach, the remaining ½ cup stock, the butter, and half of the Parmesan and stir until thoroughly combined and the spinach has wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Serve the risotto hot, in shallow bowls, garnished with the remaining Parmesan.
4 to 6 servings
LAMB PATTIES WITH A MEDITERRANEAN VEGETABLE RAGOUT
These lamb patties are flavored with spices reminiscent of Mediterranean cooking and paired with vegetables that are cooked in the same skillet, making a ratatouille-ish sauce that perfectly complements the lamb. Garnish with a bit of salty feta and enjoy! To do this in one batch, you’ll need to use a 14-inch sauté pan. But, hey, if you don’t own one this size, you can cook the recipe in two batches in a 10-or 12-inch pan. To have the patties and vegetables finished simultaneously, pay close attention to the timing instructions I’ve given here.
3 cups diced eggplant
Kosher salt
1½ pounds ground lamb (90 percent lean)
2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1½ cups diced zucchini
1½ cups diced yellow squash
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2½ cups diced seeded tomato
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
1. Place the eggplant in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with a few pinches of kosher salt. Toss to coat well, then spread the eggplant on a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Gently pat dry with paper towels before using.
2. Combine the lamb, yogurt, cumin, coriander, pepper, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, 1 tablespoon of the mint, and 1 tablespoon of the parsley in a large mixing bowl and mix gently to combine. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes for the flavors to come together. Form the meat into four ¾-inch-thick patties.
3. Add the oil to a 14-inch skillet or sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the patties and cook for about 5½ minutes. Push them to one side of the pan and add the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic to the other side of the pan. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash to the side of the pan with the garlic, season with the allspice, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring the vegetables as needed, for 2 minutes.
4. The lamb patties should now be browned on one side. Flip the patties and cook until browned on the second side, 7 to 8 minutes longer. During the last 4 minutes of cooking, add the tomatoes and lemon juice to the vegetables and cook until the tomatoes are tender and the vegetables are saucy. Add ½ teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon mint and 1 tablespoon parsley to the vegetable mixture.
5. Divide