Chances are, if you already know about the deliciousness of Fiamma Italian Grill, then the chef and owner Joey Jurkivo knows you and your family by name. He knows to ask about your child's recent soccer game and how your vacation was. “My relationship that I have with my customers is the most important thing and it is the key foundation of my restaurant,” Jurkivo says. “This isn't a chain restaurant. We adjust our menus seasonally and by knowing what our customers are craving.”
At 11 years old, Jurkivo started working as a busboy to help support his mother and two younger brothers. He continued to work hard and, although he had two full-tuition scholarship offers to college by the time he was a senior at Liberty High School, he chose to stay in the restaurant business. (Fun fact: At 14 years old, Jurkivo was a busboy at the same building that he now owns as Fiamma Italian Grill.)
Beyond his talents in the kitchen, his work ethic and his genuine care for people, spending just a few minutes chatting with Jurkivo will also reveal his resilience and strength. He has had two kidney transplants, his first being as a 16-year-old, and open-heart surgery in his lifetime. The health struggles in his life have given Jurkivo a beautiful perspective that so many people don't have. His gratefulness for the blessings in his life is something he loves sharing with everyone.
Whether it is frontline workers he creates family meals for in the midst of a pandemic, charities he is helping fundraise for or simply a family sitting at the table next to the window at his restaurant, Jurkivo shares his food and his inspiring love of life with everyone in his path. “It just makes me so happy to make people happy,” he says.
“I could be cooking something as rustic as pasta and meatballs or as fancy as Filet Oscar—as long as it makes people happy, then I feel good.”
Here, he is sharing a recipe for his decadent Parmesan Risotto. The creamy, flavorful dish is a favorite on the menu at Fiamma Italian Grill. With sautéed garlic, basil and cream, this dish is one that should definitely be ordered out and recreated at home.
Fiamma Italian Grill | 2118 Schoenersville Rd., Bethlehem 610.419.6545 | fiammaitaliangrill.com
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 2 basil leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups raw baby spinach
- 4 spears asparagus, cut into half-inch pieces
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- ½ cup heavy cream, preferably 40 percent
- 1 Tbsp. mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup risotto, pre-cooked
- 1 generous handful of Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 6 scallops, pat dry (size 10/12), seasoned with salt and pepper
Instructions
Add olive oil, garlic, butter, basil leaves and salt and pepper to a pan and sauté together until garlic is brown.
Add spinach and asparagus and sauté until spinach is wilted.
Add vegetable stock and heavy cream. Reduce to half.
Add mascarpone cheese, risotto and Parmesan. Set aside.
In a non-stick pan, add vegetable oil and scallops. Pan sear both sides and then bake for two minutes at 350 degrees.
Plate risotto and top with scallops.
