Baked Salmon with Lemon and Leek Risotto
Quiet night in last night, just the two of us and our friends from the Voice, many of whom were shouting over each other. Thankfully I was a little removed from it in the kitchen whipping up this little beauty. Although I did make it back to the couch for Tim v Mark - what a great battle! Anyway, Salmon and Risotto...
Ingredients
Salmon
2 fillets of Salmon (I prefer skin off but at Coles on the weekend they were doing sides of Salmon for $15 per kg so I had skin on this time and I have a HEAP of salmon in the freezer).
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Lemon juice to serve
Risotto
Olive oil
350g arborio rice
3 cloves of garlic
1 leek
Zest of 1 lemon
1 zuccini
2 big handfuls of baby spinach
Salt and pepper
750ml chicken stock
300ml dry white wine
3/4 cup grated parmesan
Juice of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat the oven to 175C and put a lug of olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon zest in a baking dish and mix. Coat the salmon fillets on both sides in the seasoned oil and place skin down in the dish to bake.
Prepare garlic, leek, lemon zest and zuccini and heat a good lug of oil in a large non-stick pan. Season with salt and pepper and fry the garlic, leek, lemon zest and zuccini over a medium heat until soft and fragrant. Pop the salmon in the oven about now... depending on how big the fillets are - they will take about 15 - 20 mins. Back to the risotto, stir in the arborio and toss with the vegetables, allowing the rice to soak up the flavour and crisp a little. Stir in 250ml chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring as the liquid begins to reduce. Stir in 150ml of white wine, stirring as the liquid begins to reduce. Continue alternating stock and wine until the rice is almost cooked. Add the baby spinach and cover for a couple of minutes to allow the spinach to soften, stir through and check the rice, if it's not cooked add a little more stock and keep stirring. When cooked stir through the lemon juice and then add the parmesan. Stir to combine and then season to taste.
Remove the salmon from the oven, remove the skin (if you have any) and serve on a bed of risotto with a squeeze of lemon and some black pepper. Great with a glass of pinot and some good company. There will be leftover risotto which will make a great lunch too - yay!
