If it's good enough for the princess of Thailand...

...it's definitely good enough for me and my husband (on a rainy Wednesday night). Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I once again turned to the culinary wonder that is the Bistro Laurent Tourondel cookbook. This book simply does not disappoint. (and how do the months go by without making a visit to one of Chef Tourondel's restaurants???) This time I opted for the Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Why not? We love risotto, we love shrimp, and we love Thai food. This one had to be good... and it was!




The intro for the recipe explains that Chef Tourondel first prepared it for the Princess of Thailand while he was working at the Four Seasons Bangkok. Not bad! It was a bit involved so I made the sauce a day ahead, right to the point of straining it, then I covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. I didn't have rock shrimp so I used jumbo shrimp. The combination of flavors and textures were simply delightful. Madras curry powder, green curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, Thai Basil. YUM! You can find the complete recipe online: Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Don't be intimidated - you might have to swing by an Asian market for a few ingredients, but it's well worth the trip.


I did make a few modifications. I cut the sauce in half. And instead of 2 cups of Arborio, I used 1 1/2. I also stirred the chopped Thai basil into the risotto to bring out the flavor a bit more. To serve, I scooped the risotto into the middle of the plate and then ladled the sauce around it.


This makes 9 recipes I've made from this cookbook and we have loved everyone. Who told Chef Tourondel exactly what we like??? Or maybe it was just my mother-in-law who had a keen sense for that - after all she gave me the book for Christmas.


Now I'm off to give the book another flip through to find my next adventure. In the meantime, tomorrow at our house, leftover risotto!