Salmon Risotto Recipe: How to Make Creamy Salmon Risotto
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 4, 2023 • 3 min read
Salmon risotto is a main course with a creamy texture. Poach salmon fillets and stire the fish into risotto for a filling weeknight meal.
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What Is Salmon Risotto?
Salmon risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish featuring tender salmon pieces. To make salmon risotto, stir the salmon into the risotto before serving. The key to risotto is the cooking method: sautéing the starch and then cooking it on low heat as you add ladles of broth. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result in a creamy sauce. Other common ingredients in risotto include butter, sautéed shallots, Parmesan cheese, dry white wine, garlic cloves, and seasonal vegetables.
6 Tips for Making Salmon Risotto
Follow these simple tips to make creamy salmon risotto:
- 1. Use arborio rice. Risotto traditionally calls for arborio rice—a rounded, short-grain white rice with a high starch content—though you can substitute carnaroli rice or other grains for an oat or barley risotto.
- 2. Warm the broth. Warm the stock in a small saucepan before adding it to the rice. Adding cold or room temperature stock to the hot pot of rice will cool the ingredients down and interrupt the cooking process.
- 3. Slowly add the liquid. Adding your stock in small portions allows the rice to slowly absorb the liquid while emitting its starches to make the creamy risotto. As a rule, wait until the rice has fully absorbed one portion of stock before adding more. You can make this dish vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for chicken or seafood stock.
- 4. Poach the salmon. Using the same pan you plan to use for the risotto, gently poach the salmon until cooked. Transfer the salmon to a plate or cutting board to rest while you finish the risotto to prevent the fish from overcooking. Alternatively, you can use smoked salmon, torn into bite-sized pieces. Add the salmon to the risotto before serving.
- 5. Add vegetables. You can also cook broccoli, asparagus, or other veggies ahead of time and stir them into the risotto along with the salmon. Smaller, softer vegetables, like peas and leeks, have short cook times, and you can stir them in at the end to warm.
- 6. Finish with flavor. After adding all of your stock, remove the risotto from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and the cooked salmon. The fats found in dairy products can break and separate when heated, so wait until you remove the risotto from the heat to stir it in.
Fresh Salmon Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
1 hr 5 mincook time
55 minIngredients
For the salmon:
For the risotto:
- 1
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, combine the water, wine, parsley, peppercorns, lemon slices, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low to simmer. Add the salmon and poach until opaque and cooked through, 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once cool enough, use a fork to flake the meat into large bite-sized pieces. Discard the skin.
- 2
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a low boil then reduce heat to low, keeping the broth just below a simmer. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 3
In the skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low, then add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds. Add the rice to the onion-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue stirring until rice is well coated and starting to become translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 4
Add about ½ cup warm broth and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often using a wooden spoon, until rice has fully absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth in ½ cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing rice to absorb liquid between additions, until rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 5
Remove the pan from heat and add ½ cup cheese, cooked salmon, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes. Garnish with additional cheese and a few cracks of black pepper. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
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