12 Days of Prunemas: Prune Prawn Curry Risotto
Day 9 Prune Christmas for the winter chill
This is a post for all subscribers sponsored by CAPrunes. It is the ninth of 12 posts over 12 days, celebrating ways to enjoy delicious prunes.
Happy ninth day of Christmastide! It is the traditional feast day of St. Basil. Basil came from a family of Saints, so many of his relatives are Saints! Genetic? Basil was known for being extremely generous to anyone who needed help and especially the poor, never charging for anything. Famously he once convinced the Emperor to return the coins and jewelry collected in an “extra tax” to the people. When it was returned to St. Basil, he was given the idea by God to bake it all into a giant pita to redistribute to the inhabitants basically washing his hands of the administrative work of sorting what belonged to who- baking is always the answer!
In honor of St. Basil, it is traditional in many eastern christian countries on this day to bake a coin into sweet bread called Vasilopita similar to the western christian tradition of a king cake. The person who found the coin would be blessed with good fortune, but more importantly inherit the responsibility to be charitable to others in the coming year. This bread was less bread and more cake, sometimes with a light icing.
For our celebrations, we’ll be swapping all that bread for another starch traditional for this time of year - Risotto! Risotto is a classic New Years Dish, in Italy the cooked rice represents the swelling and growth of wealth and abundance. And you’ll find a lot served throughout the early winter months of the year.
For this dish we are pairing with our prunes two special ingredients, yellow oyster mushrooms and Japanese curry powder. Japanese Italian food mashups are the dreamiest IMO. Yellow Oyster Mushrooms are among my favorites for decorating cakes but are great to eat in savory dishes as well! These mushrooms are a stunning yellow color that mostly cooks out, but their delicate saline and citrus taste adds to the prawns in this dish. And Japanese Curry Powder, specifically my dear friend Sonoko Sakai’s curry powder (purchase here). I’ve learned how to make so many Japanese traditional foods from Sonoko over the last decade we’ve known each other. She is an amazing teacher, cook and author of several cookbooks. If you love Japanese food her latest, Wafu Cooking, is outstanding. I really love her curry blend, and still remember many afternoons spent making bricks with her.
You can poach your own prawns or buy already cooked at your local seafood counter. You be the judge of your time. Poaching yourself takes only a few minutes and can be done in a little water with lemons and herbs added. You’ll poach shrimp till just pink and cooked through.
Think of all the prunes you top your plated dish with as coins to share generously with your guests when you have a cozy and smol dinner party these wintery nights.
Prune Prawn Curry Risotto
Makes 4-6 servings
1 bunch oyster mushrooms
2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs of thyme
1/2 cup beer
7 cups of vegetable stock
8 prunes + more for plating
3 teaspoon curry powder
Parmesan
Prawns or Jumbo Shrimp
grapeseed oil
Method:
In a medium pot over medium low heat warm up your vegetable stock, prunes and curry powder.
In another large saucier pan, heat a splash of grapeseed oil or other high smoke point oil. Add the oyster mushrooms and allow to brown mostly undisturbed for 1-2 minutes. Pull from heat and set aside. Add another splash of oil, and then add your garlic, onions, thyme and rice. Use a wooden spoon to stir, toasting but not browning the ingredients in the pan. After 2-3 minutes, add beer and scrape pot to lift any fond (that good flavorful brown stuff) off the bottom of the pot. Once beer has absorbed, lower the heat to medium low and add two ladles of stock to your pot. Continue stirring consistently as the rice absorbs all the stock. Add more stock, two ladlefuls at a time, stirring until your rice is cooked through and there is a lovely thickness to your risotto. Pull sprigs of thyme.
Plate and top with prawns, reserved mushrooms and more prunes. Shave parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!
Note: I make my own vegetable stock from vegetable, allium and herb ingredient scraps collected over the week and stored in the freezer. If you don’t have any on hand, I like the Better than Bouillon Brand. You may or mayn’t need all the stock, taste your rice when as you get closer to the end of cooking to determine when it is ready.
xoxox
P.s. Yesterday night was the last night of Hanukkah! Today is the last day, as the jewish calendar measures days from sundown to sundown. I celebrated with family and by making a MERINGUENORAH! I so enjoyed making this rosewater coconut menorah, I can’t wait to continue (and up!) this tradition next year.
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Boy, Rose...you know how to get the most out of a dried up plum