Smoked Salmon Risotto
This one takes about forty-five minutes and needs attention, so throw a podcast on while you make it. Coincidentally, most Top Five Face Off episodes are about the right length...
Per portion
Calories from protein 13%, carbs 64%, fat 23%. Estimated from the ingredients.
Roughly £2.30 a portion, counting only what it uses from each jar. Buying the spices from scratch costs a fair bit more the first time.
Method
- 1
Do you really need instructions for risotto? Fine, here we go then. Warm the stock in a saucepan and keep it just below a simmer.
- 2
Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over a low heat and cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until it's just going soft. Don't let it brown; take your time. It's risotto, you're not going anywhere.
- 3
Add the rice and fry it for 1–2 minutes, stirring a lot so it doesn't stick (a silicone spatula is your friend). Pour in about 40ml of the wine and let it bubble away. Drink the rest of the bottle during the next step.
- 4
Add a ladle of stock and let the rice drink it, stirring regularly, then add the next. Keep going until the stock is gone and the rice is creamy and tender with a little bite, around 30 minutes. Don't worry if yours takes longer: risotto is ready when it's ready. If it looks too dry and you're out of stock, add some hot water while you make more stock and try to work out what you measured wrong.
- 5
Take it off the heat and stir in the parmesan, salmon and dill. Season aggressively, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve straight away. Don't forget to vote!
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/smoked-salmon-risotto/
