Welcome back. Today I will propose a very simple first course to prepare, tasty and fragrant, which is also perfect as a dish for special, important occasions. I am talking about risotto with salmon and zucchini, beautiful to look at and refined in taste at the same time. You can propose it for a romantic Valentine’s dinner, for a birthday, as a first course for Sunday lunch, and so on. The risotto with salmon and zucchini is a gluten-free and dairy-free dish, so it is also suitable for those following a specific diet.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Valentine's Day
Ingredients
- 1 slice fresh salmon (or 7 oz of canned or oil-packed salmon)
- 1 zucchini
- 5 oz Arborio rice (or Carnaroli)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste chives or parsley, chopped
- to taste fine salt
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
Steps
Two tips for making risottos.
1- The broth to be added must always be boiling.
2- The risotto should almost never be left alone; it needs to be gently and frequently stirred.
To prepare this delicious risotto, start by washing the zucchini, removing any inedible parts, and cutting it into very small cubes.
If using fresh salmon, remove the skin, central bone, and any pin bones, and break it into pieces with your hands.
If using canned salmon, completely drain any oil or preserving liquid and roughly break it into pieces.
Prepare a vegetable broth with one and a half liters (6 cups) of water by adding a carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil and let it cook for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
Place the pan (which you’ll use to cook the risotto) on the medium burner.
Pour in 2 generous tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let it heat on low flame.
When the oil is very hot, increase the flame, add the rice, and toast it for more than a minute, stirring continuously.
After a minute, add the zucchini and salmon, continuously mixing them with the rice and letting them briefly brown as well for a few seconds. Then, pour in the wine and, continuing to stir, let the alcohol evaporate (if necessary, you can slightly lower the flame).
Start by adding a ladle of boiling broth, stir, and as the broth is absorbed, add more.
It’s important to add the broth before the cooking risotto dries completely. Any leftover broth can be reused for other dishes.
Midway through cooking, season the risotto with salt (without overdoing it, as you can always add more later).
As the risotto approaches the desired consistency, add less broth.
Taste, and when the rice reaches the consistency you desire, turn off the heat, add the curry and a pinch of pepper, mix to blend them with the other ingredients, cover, and remove from the stove. Let the risotto with salmon and zucchini rest for two minutes, then it can be plated and finished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives.
Bon appétit
