Spinach & Leek Risotto with Baked Lemon Salmon
This elegant dinner recipe with homemade risotto and baked salmon isn't as hard as it sounds, and it's sure to impress your family or any visiting dinner guests.
Ingredients
Salmon
- 20 oz salmon I recommend wild-caught Alaskan Salmon
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 2-3 tbsp butter
- ½ lemon
Risotto
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 leek, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice This is a special kind of rice used to make risotto. Don't be tempted to substitute for another kind of rice!
- ½ cup dry white wine I like sauvignon blanc. You can also substitute for chicken broth
- cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Spring for a good quality cheese
- ½ lemon
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- cracked black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
Prep the salmon
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Lay the salmon in the baking pan.
- Sprinkle with the kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Thinly slice the butter and arrange the slices all over the salmon.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the salmon.
- Set the salmon aside while you prep the ingredients for the risotto.
Make the risotto
- Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium sauce pan. Reduce to simmer and cover.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook until tender and starting to turn translucent.
- Meanwhile, place the salmon in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the shallots and cook 1 minute.
- Add the rice and toast 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine. Cook until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
- Add 1 cup of chicken broth, stirring the rice frequently.
- When most of the liquid has evaporated, add another cup of chicken broth and cook, continuing to stir frequently, until the liquid has evaporated. Repeat this process until most of the broth is gone and the rice a nice al dente (should have some tooth-feel and not be mushy).
- Stir in the spinach, and parmesan cheese, mixing until the parmesan is melted.
- Add the juice from the lemon, the lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Stir to combine.
- Ladle the risotto onto 4 plates or shallow bowls and top each with ¼ of the salmon.