Salmon and Prawn Risotto

Name: Salmon and Prawn Risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 50 g unsalted butter; 1 yellow onion, finely chopped; 150 g arborio or carnaroli rice; 125 ml dry white wine; 1 L vegetable stock, kept hot in a saucepan; 1 lemon, zest and juice; 240 g large king prawns, peeled and deveined; 150 g skin-on salmon fillet; 100 g asparagus tips, blanched briefly; 1 to taste freshly cracked black pepper; 50 g parmesan, shaved

From the kitchen of Carly

Lemon-bright, butter-rich Italian rice with two kinds of seafood and a handful of asparagus. The kind of weekend dinner that feels generous without taking over your Saturday. Keep the stock hot the whole time. Cold stock added to the rice drops the temperature and makes the texture gluey.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 2
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

2 servings

50 gunsalted butter
1yellow onion, finely chopped
150 garborio or carnaroli rice
125 mldry white wine
1 Lvegetable stock, kept hot in a saucepan
1lemon, zest and juice
240 glarge king prawns, peeled and deveined
150 gskin-on salmon fillet
100 gasparagus tips, blanched briefly
1 to tastefreshly cracked black pepper
50 gparmesan, shaved

Instructions

Heat the stock in a separate saucepan and keep it warm over the lowest possible heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft and translucent. No browning.
Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, until every grain is coated in butter and starting to look slightly toasted.
Pour in the white wine. Stir until completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add a ladle of hot stock. Stir slowly until absorbed, then add another. Repeat for 18 to 20 minutes; the rice should be creamy with a slight bite at the center.
While the risotto cooks, season the salmon with salt and pepper. Heat a small pan over medium-high. Cook the salmon skin-side down for 4 minutes, flip, cook 2 minutes more, then flake into chunks with a fork.
When the rice is nearly done, stir in the lemon zest, juice, and a generous crank of pepper. Taste before salting; the parmesan and any salt in the salmon may be enough.
Stir in the prawns. Cook for 2 minutes more in the residual heat until just pink and curled.
Spoon onto plates. Top with the flaked salmon, blanched asparagus tips, and shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

Substitutions

king prawns to scallops or mixed seafood. Scallops sear in 90 seconds per side. Mixed bag of seafood works; add it in the order of how long each cooks.
white wine to dry vermouth or extra stock + 1 tsp lemon juice. Vermouth is the classic sub. Without alcohol, the lemon adds the missing acid.
asparagus to frozen peas or sliced zucchini. Peas need 1 minute. Zucchini saute quickly in butter on the side.

Pairs well with: A crisp white wine: pinot grigio, vermentino, or albarino, A simple salad of arugula and shaved parmesan, Crusty bread for soaking up any leftover risotto

Adapted from TheMealDB.