Pacific Northwest Shrimp In Oregon Blue Cheese Sauce

Warm individual shallow soup bowls.

Bring 1 1/4 cups water, lemon juice, salt, and butter to a boil. Stir in the rice and cover. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 1 1/2 cups water, the onion slices, 2 tablespoons parsley, and the uncooked shrimp in a pan and bring to a boil. Cook the shrimp until their shells turn pink and the meat is white, about 30 seconds to a minute, tossing the shrimp as they cook. Drain the shrimp and make the sauce while they cool for peeling.

Pour the chicken stock and half-and-half into a 1-quart saucepan and warm over low heat. With a fork, blend the flour and blue cheese together and whisk it into the stock/half-and-half mixture.

Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Put the peeled shrimp and the bay shrimp in the blue cheese sauce and gently heat until they are warm.

Scoop a heaping 1/2 cup rice out of the pot and put it in the middle of a shallow soup bowl. Ladle the sauce over all and garnish with a sprig of parsley. Repeat for the remaining bowls.

NOTE: Shrimp is combined with creamy Oregon Blue Cheese to create a delicate sauce that is served over mounds of lemon-flavored rice (it's also good over pasta or polenta). Because it is rich, small servings are adequate accompanied by a simple green salad and a dry white wine.