Salmon risotto on a plate with cutlery

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Make restaurant-worthy risotto at home with this creamy salmon risotto combined with flavours of sweet onion and citrusy dill and lemon. It’s perfect for a meal all on its own, but can also be made in a smaller portion and served as a starter.

Is risotto healthy?

While creamy and indulgent, risotto is probably not as unhealthy as you think. It uses very starchy rice, which is what gives that creamy and rich texture – meaning you don’t need to add a load of cream to get a great result.

Of course, rice is quite a heavy carbohydrate so it’s best enjoyed in moderation and, furthermore, risotto typically contains a cheese of some sort adding to the fat content.

This recipe also packs in nutritious peas and heart-healthy salmon whilst also using olive oil instead of butter, making it a little lighter.

What are the secrets to making good risotto?

A lot of people think that risotto is a really difficult dish to master. The good news is that if you follow a few simple rules you can pretty much guarantee a great result every time:

  • Don’t rush it – adding the liquid slowly allows it to be fully absorbed into the rice grains, leaving you with creamy rice and avoiding a sloppy liquid at the bottom of the dish. However, you don’t need to overdo it – around 15 minutes of time adding the stock is enough, with a few minutes at the end to let everything come together.
  • Choose the right rice – Arborio or carnaroli are the best options. Carnaroli has a slightly longer grain and is a premium, but less common option.
  • Stir regularly, but not too often. A lot of people think you need to constantly stir risotto, which is simply not true. Stirring once per minute is more than enough.
  • Keep the stock warm – keep it in a pan over a low heat so that you aren’t reducing the heat of the dish every time you add another ladleful.

Can I freeze it?

Generally, it is best to avoid freezing risotto. What makes risotto such a beautiful dish is the creaminess of the rice and a stint in the freezer can result in hard rice, completely ruining this texture.

You can keep any leftovers in the fridge, however. It will last for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the hob/stove, oven or in the microwave. Make sure it is steaming hot before eating. Add a splash of stock if it is starting to dry out.

Ingredients

You’ll need a few ingredients for this salmon risotto: For a full list plus measurements jump to the printable recipe card.

Salmon Risotto Ingredients
  • Salmon fillet(s) – skin-on or skin-off are both fine since you will flake the flesh before adding to the risotto
  • Onion – brown or white – diced
  • Risotto rice – such as arborio or carnaroli
  • White wine – can be swapped with additional stock if preferred
  • Lemon juice
  • Vegetable stock
  • Frozen peas, defrosted – you can use fresh instead (you will need to buy around 3 x the weight of unshelled peas if you plan to shell them at home)
  • Freshly grated parmesan – make sure to grate it at home rather than buying the pre-grated stuff, as this won’t melt as well.
  • Fresh dill – finely chopped (you can substitute for around half the amount of dried dill)

How to make it

For more detailed instructions jump to the printable recipe card.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Lightly grease a baking tray with some oil and pat the salmon dry. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for around 5 minutes until softened. Add the rice and stir around the pan to coat with the oil. Cook for around 1 minute.
  3. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pan along with a ladleful of the stock. Reduce the heat if needed so it is slighly simmering.
  4. Stirring around once per minute, add another ladleful of the stock each time the previous addiiton has been absorbed. Continue adding in this manner until all the stock is used and you have a creamy texture (you don’t want it to be too dry and the rice should still have a little ‘bite’).
  5. Add the peas and dill to the pan and stir through. Season to taste. Leave to cook through for another 3-4 minutes.
  6. Flake the salmon with 2 forks and then tip into the pan and mix together gently. Spoon into bowls or plates and serve with a little extra dill and parmesan sprinkled over the top.
  7. You can alternatively pan fry the salmon and serve it sat on top of the risotto (as pictured).
Recipe Steps

If you are looking for another great risotto recipe then check out this red pepper and goats cheese risotto. Or for more great salmon ideas you might want to try:

Products that work well for this recipe:

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Salmon risotto on a plate with cutlery

Salmon Risotto


  • Author: caroline
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x

Description

A restaurant-worthy salmon risotto, super-creamy and flavoured with sweet onions and citrusy dill and lemon. Perfect for a main meal or served as a starter with a smaller portion. 

The default recipe makes one main meal


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 salmon fillet, around 130g / 4.5oz
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 100g / 3.5oz risotto rice
  • 60ml / 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 250ml / 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 75g / 2.6oz frozen peas, thawed
  • 15g / 2 tbsp finely grated parmesan
  • couple of sprigs of dill, finely chopped (plus a little extra for garnish)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
    2. Place the salmon fillet on a slightly oiled baking tray and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. 
    3. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and sweat for around 5 minutes until softened and slightly translucent. If it starts to brown then the pan is likely too hot so reduce the heat a little.
    4. Add the risotto rice to the pan and stir. Toast for 1 minute before adding the wine and lemon juice.
    5. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and allow each addition to fully be absorbed before adding the next. You may want to reduce the heat slightly if it is cooking above a light simmer. 
    6. Once you’ve added all the stock add the peas to the pan. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat. 
    7. Stir in the parmesan and dill. Flake the cooked salmon with 2 forks and stir into the risotto.
    8. Serve with some extra wedges of lemon and a sprinkle of dill over the top. 

    Notes

    • Use freshly grated parmesan, rather than pre-grated – as the pre-packaged stuff has emulsifiers that make it harder to melt
    • Skin-on or skin-off salmon both work fine (just don’t add the skin to the risotto after flaking)
    • You can alternatively pan fry the salmon and place on top of the risotto
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Hob
    • Cuisine: Italian

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1
    • Calories: 720
    • Fat: 13.5g
    • Carbohydrates: 93g
    • Protein: 40g

    Keywords: risotto, salmon, italian, rice, dinner, starter, appetiser, peas

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