Seared salmon with lemon and parsley risotto (serves 4)

Ingredients

4 salmon portions (around 200g per portion)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the risotto:

25g butter

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

225g Arborio rice

750ml hot homemade chicken stock (or chicken stock cube made up with water)

150g frozen peas

25g pack fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Method

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes, until the onion and garlic are softened but not coloured. Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter. Add a ladleful of stock and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the liquid in this way until you have about a ladleful left.

Heat a frying pan with olive oil (add small cube of bread, if starts to fry gently straight away the oil is ready to use.) Season the salmon skin with salt and pepper, and place the fish in the frying pan skin side down cook for around 4 minutes until the skin is golden, turn the salmon over and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the salmon to cook in the residual heat in the pan, while you finish the risotto.

Add the peas and the remaining stock to the risotto and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still retains a little bite. Stir in the parsley and the lemon zest, then season to taste.

Place the risotto in bowls then place each piece of salmon on top. Serve with a wedge of lemon if you wish.