Description
This saffron risotto with salmon and asparagus is the perfect dish to make for a date-night or dinner celebration at home. The risotto is perfectly creamy, paired with a simple and juicy salmon fillet and lemony asparagus to balance out all of the flavors.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Microplane
- Measuring cup
- Medium pot
- Large pan or dutch oven
- Medium pan
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Risotto
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup arborio rice
- 1/4 cup white wine
- A pinch of saffron (8-12 saffron threads)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp butter
For the Salmon
- 2 6oz salmon filets
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
For the Asparagus
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed
- Salt & pepper
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
Instructions
- Get everything in its place. To stay organized and ready to cook parts of this meal simultaneously, prepare all of your ingredients ahead of cooking. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Pat the salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. Mince the garlic and dice the shallot. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a pot on the stove. Then bloom the saffron (step #2 listed below).
- Bloom the saffron. Grind up a pinch of saffron (about 8-10 threads) in a mortar and pestle. Add an ice cube and allow the ice to melt while you prepare the next few steps of the recipe.
- Cook the aromatics. In a wide pan or dutch oven over medium heat, heat olive oil or butter. Add shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and fragrant. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add arborio rice. Add the rice to the pan and toss with the shallot and garlic until coated. Add the white cooking wine to deglaze the pan. Cook until the wine is absorbed.
- Add the saffron. Once the ice is melted, pour in the saffron water and stir to coat the rice until it is all golden yellow.
- Slowly ladle in broth. Add one ladle full of hot broth to the risotto and stir constantly. Once all of the liquid has absorbed, add another ladle full and continue to constantly stir. This whole process should take 20-30 minutes. Stirring constantly helps to evenly cook the rice and release the starches for a creamy risotto texture.
- Cook the salmon. When the risotto is about 15 minutes from completion, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp neutral oil and place the salmon skin-side down in the pan, cooking for 4-5 minutes. Flip, then cook another 4-5 minutes until the salmon is fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the asparagus. In the same pan used to cook the salmon, add about 1/2 tbsp olive oil or butter if needed, then add the asparagus to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and cook for another 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Finish with parmesan and butter. When the risotto is fully cooked, turn off the heat and stir in parmesan. Add cold butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated into the risotto.
- Plate and serve. Gently spoon some risotto to the center of a plate, then top with salmon and asparagus. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salmon filet with risotto and asparagus
- Calories: 775
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 4112 mg
- Fat: 31.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 67.5 g
- Protein: 53.5 g
- Cholesterol: 134.5 mg