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| LEMON RISOTTO WITH JUMBO SHRIMP |
Risotto for the Regulars
Park Cities new fave Iris serves comfort cuisine to its loyal clientele. Chef Russ Hodges shares the magic.
Neighborhood restaurants aren’t known for four-star cuisine and, frankly, it’s not a requirement. So when star-heavy restaurateurs Susie Priore and Russell Hodges announced they were opening their new venture Iris in a West Lovers Lane shopping center, foodies all over the Park Cities and North Dallas thanked the restaurant gods for their great good fortune. Chef Hodges’ lemon risotto with jumbo shrimp just around the corner? It doesn’t get any better than that.
The restaurant, which is named after Priore’s dog Iris (not the flower, not the part of the eye, not someone’s great aunt), features seasonal foods under the culinary umbrella of contemporary American cuisine, and for Hodges, who is not only Iris’ executive chef but also a graduate-level culinary instructor at Aims Academy, the great joy is working with Priore to create and direct the ever-changing menu.
When we asked for a few of his best recipes (and his advice for someone trying to cook them at home), he told us that the secret to great cooking is to get in there and do it. “The key to cooking is to keep it active,” he says. “Make recipes; don’t just read em. And make them not just once but several times. If the first attempt is a bust, try again.”
Hodges also believes that a good dining experience is about more than the food alone. Iris’ success, he says, is the result of the partners efforts to combine food, wine, atmosphere, and neighborhood in a way that complements one another. “Our customers keep coming back because they like what we’ve done in their neighborhood.” The risotto paired with a nice Riesling doesn’t hurt, either.
Lemon Risotto with Jumbo Shrimp, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Grilled Spring Asparagus
(serves 4)
CHEF’S NOTE: Our best seller—the combination of shrimp, lemon risotto, and spring asparagus is irresistible. Pairing Tip: Trefethen Estate Dry Riesling or Caymus Conundrum
Step 1:
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
Step 2:
2 large shallots, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
Step 3:
4 cups vegetable broth or shrimp broth
Step 4:
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Step 5:
kosher or sea salt, to taste ground pepper, to taste
Step 6:
16-24 shrimp (4-6 per person)
24 asparagus spears (6 per person)
Step 1: Add arborio rice to oil over medium heat. Stir constantly until grains of rice are cracked.
Step 2: Add shallots and garlic and continue stirring until garlic aroma is apparent.
Step 3: Begin adding stock little by little until completely absorbed stir vigorously and constantly during this process. Keep the heat at medium-high.
Step 4: When all of the stock has been absorbed and rice has softened to al dente, reduce heat to low and stir in cream, zest, lemon juice, and cheese.
Step 5: Season to taste. Turn the heat off and allow risotto to rest, with or without lid.
Step 6: Season and grill shrimp and asparagus spears.
ASSEMBLY: Arrange asparagus in a pinwheel on the plates with the tips toward the rim. Add equal amounts of risotto in the center of each of the plates. Center shrimp on top of risotto. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Chef Hodges Instant Risotto Technique
The only problem with risotto is that it takes about 20 minutes—of stirring, stirring, stirring. To reduce prep time and wow your guests, which—let’s face it—is really the point, try Hodges’ shortcut.
Prepare the risotto as directed, right up until step 4. Remove the risotto from the pot and spread it evenly on a cookie sheet. Pop it into the freezer until chilled—not frozen—and then move into the fridge until just before dinner is served.
Add the chilled risotto and 1 cup of hot broth to a pot over medium-high heat. Stir vigorously until the broth is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Finish the risotto according the recipe. Garnish, serve, and bask in your guests admiration of your culinary prowess.
Diver Scallops with Creamy Polenta and
Spicy Mango Relish
(serves 4 as appetizer)
CHEF’S NOTE: Quick, easy to prepare, and terrific! Pairing Tip: Sanford Sauvignon Blanc
SCALLOPS
Wait until everything else is ready before cooking these delicate scallops.
12 Diver scallops (3 per person)
canola oil, as needed, to saut
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Lightly season scallops with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan and heat until smoky hot. Using kitchen tongs, place each scallop carefully in the hot oil and sear each side to a golden brown color. Remove from pan and reserve.
POLENTA
Step 1:
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup medium ground yellow polenta
Step 2:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Step 3:
kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Step 1: Add polenta and butter to boiling water. Be sure to stir the polenta while slowly pouring it into the water. The polenta is done when it begins pull away from the sides of the your pot while you stir.
Step 2: Remove the pot from heat and continue to stir slowly while adding, one by one, cream, cheese, garlic, and butter. NOTE: if polenta becomes too thick, add hot water by teaspoons to loosen.
Step 3: Season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid and reserve. The lid will keep the polenta warm.
SPICY MANGO RELISH
Step 1:
1 vine-ripened red tomato, diced and seeded
1 ripe mango, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced, seeds and veins removed
1/2 small red onion, diced
8 fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
Step 2:
1/4 teaspoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper
Step 1: Combine tomato, mango, jalapeño, onion, and tarragon in a bowl.
Step 2: Add lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
ASSEMBLY: Place a large spoonful of warm polenta onto the center of each plate. Surround each dollop of polenta with three seared scallops. Spoon mango relish on top of each scallop. Garnish with a sprig of fresh tarragon.
Wild Mushroom Soup with Oloroso Sherry and
White Cheddar
(serves 4-6)
CHEF’S NOTE: This is Susie Priore’s favorite soup. She thought of adding the Oloroso sherry, which really makes this soup special. Pairing Tip: Long Vineyard Sangiovese
Step 1:
1 cup wild mushrooms (cremini, portobello, porcini, etc.), sliced
2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
4 ounces diced smoked bacon (optional)
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
canola or olive, as needed, to saut
Step 2:
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1 Bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Step 3:
3/4 cup heavy cream
Step 4:
brandy or Armagnac, to taste (approximately 1/4 cup)
kosher salt and sea salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
Step 5:
4-6 tablespoons white cheddar, shredded
Step 1: Saut mushrooms, bacon, onion, and garlic in oil over low heat. Stir often until all ingredients have wilted and become very soft.
Step 2: Add water (or broth) and herbs to the pot to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce to a medium simmer until reduced by approximately 1/4 . Stir occasionally.
Step 3: Add cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce immediately to a simmer when cream begins to foam. Stir constantly at a simmer until cream no longer foams and looks silky smooth. Remove from heat to cool for approximately 10 minutes. Then blend on low until smooth. Return to original pot and reheat until piping hot.
Step 4: Add liquor and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Pour soup into bowls and top with approximately 1 tablespoon of shredded white cheddar cheese.
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Bosc Pear Poached in Rose Syrup with Brandied Mascarpone and Walnut Filling >>
(serves 4)
CHEF’S NOTE: Rose syrup or rose jam is available at most Middle Eastern markets, but rose water is an acceptable substitute and easy to locate. The scent is heavenly. The Bosc pear season is longer than most, and Boscs should be available through early spring. Pairing Tip: Ceretto Moscato d’Asti
Step 1
4 Bosc pears, peeled, hollowed, and placed in a large bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Step 2
POACHING
1 cup medium bodied red wine
3 cups water
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup rose syrup or 1/2 cup rose jam (substitute 2 cups rose water, if necessary)
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Step 1: Bring all ingredients to a boil before introducing the pears.
Step 2: Add pears to the cooking liquid. Cover and lower the heat to a poach (170 degrees). After 15 to 20 minutes of poaching, test the pears by removing them from the pot and feeling the hollowed-out center for softness. When cooked, place pears in refrigerator to cool. Reserve liquid.
Step 3: Bring liquid to a boil and reduce to a syrup. Strain into a container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
FILLING
Step 1
1/2 pound soft mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Step 2
brandy or Armagnac, to taste (approximately 2 to 2 1/2 table-spoons)
1 teaspoon lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (optional)
Step 1: Mix mascarpone and nuts in blender on low.
Step 2: Add liquor, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt, one by one. Taste the mixture as you add each ingredient remember it’s easier to add than subtract.
Step 3: Reserve mixture.
ASSEMBLY: Remove poached pears from refrigerator and fill hollowed area with mascarpone mixture. Center each pear on its plate. Ladle chilled rose syrup over each pear, completely covering the pear and allowing the syrup to pool. Garnish pear with chopped toasted walnuts (the syrup will cause the nuts to adhere to the pear). Garnish plate with sprig of fresh mint.
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Cliff Notes
Tips from Chef Russ Hodges graduate-level culinary classes.
Do the Prep Work
Write a task list for each recipe. Prioritize the tasks and consider sketching out a time line. Make an equipment list of tools you’ll need, and place the tools where you can easily reach them. Prioritize and place your ingredients beside your work space, in the order you’ll need them.
Hire a Sous Chef
Don’t try to read the recipes and cook at the same time. Instead, have someone else read the recipe steps to you as you cook.
Walk the Floor
Take the time to solicit diners opinions of the meal you’ve attempted. Was it too salty? Too hot? Cold when served?
Relax
You’re only human. Embrace your mistakes and learn from them.
