one pot smoky bbq salmon and pea risotto

I will die on this salmon and risotto hill.

Our weather is springlike right now. Hot but with a gentle nip in the mornings, dry and windy by midday with a very judgmentally bright sun that’s etching new tanlines into my skin every day. Classic “light jacket at dawn, but wanting to strip down to undies by noon.”

I assure you I do not indeed strip down, as none of ya’ll would want to see that. Promise.

I fucking tell you what, I love peas, but I rarely work with them in a formal setting. They’re a fabulous filler veggie with an awesome kick of protein: I like to stir a can into bolognese, as a veggie accompaniment to a lunch sandwich, etc. I guess I find them rather tricky to incorporate? Aesthetically dissatisfying? A mere afterthought?

Nevertheless, today peas share the spotlight with a hearty hunk of salmon in my One Pot Smoky BBQ Salmon and Pea Risotto. I fall back on previous concepts a lot when I’m stumped for what I want to cook in a week: I plan my meals out throughout the days upcoming largely depending on what stores I visit and the sales, particularly Publix BOGOs. Hencewise, whenever I go to Trader Joe’s I tend to lean towards buying salmon, because their filets are juicy and very reasonably priced.

This dish takes about an hour, tastes like luxury, and suits any sort of April weather pattern you might be experiencing. I cooked it up for a post-Easter feast at home, and for J’s meal prep the next several days. High quality, high protein, and high flavor. Would’ve befit 4/20 yesterday because it’s just high on everything.

Salmooooon, Sir!

Dude, I ought to print a label for our training binder at work that says “TRAINIIIIIIING, SIR!” None but one coworker would get the reference but at least he’d laugh, and that’s all that matters.

Anywho, that’s not relevant. I let the intrusive thought win.

If you’ve been here awhile, you know my barbecue seasoning, you know I use it a lot, and you’re probably tired of it, but I’m not. So there. Combine brown sugar, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, and some salt and pepper.

Set your salmon filets down on a plate or cutting board and pat very dry with paper towels. Rub with the seasoning mix until all sides are nicely coated.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. I used my enameled cast iron, but any will do. Sear the salmon skin-side down for 4-5 minutes, flip, and cook 3-4 minutes longer until crisp and juicy. Salmon – and fish in general – releases easily from the pan when it is cooked properly. If it sticks, you either didn’t oil it enough, or the fish ain’t done yet.

Wipe off any excessively burnt bits from the pan, then melt some butter. Stir in garlic and minced shallot for a minute or so, then pour in a heap of dry white wine and deglaze your pan with a wooden spoon. Meaning: scrape the remaining crispy buts from the bottom while the wine reduces. A couple minutes should do.

Risotto More Like Rizz-otto

I’m trying to appeal to my Zoomer friends. Never saying that word again, holy fucking shit. I feel tainted.

Risotto requires a short-grain rice. Arborio is most common, but I buy a type called Valencia short grain that I find at Publix for a bit under $2, and a bag is roughly what you need for this recipe. I suspect this rice is oft used in paella, and it works excellent in risottos. I use jasmine rice in my everyday cooking most often so it’s nice to buy a sort of niche rice that won’t leave much behind once I’ve spent its portion for a formulated recipe.

After the wine reduces, stir in the rice, then a cup of broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook about 5 minutes. Add more broth in 4-5 minute increments, 3/4 cup at a time, stirring often. Monitor your heat very closely: a gentle simmer is what you need, not an angry boil. Keep the anger inside, people. Suppress it. I’m real good at that shit.

Ahem.

Once the rice is nice and soft, about 20-25 minutes or so later, stir in your final fixings: parmesan, heavy cream, lemon juice, and frozen peas. Frozen peas work best since they won’t split and turn your risotto into vivid green mush.

Serve the risotto and salmon together with some fresh basil, cracked pepper, and a choice veggie or salad on the side. Steamed broccoli is always the name of my game.

Meal prep of this recipe is absolutely dope. I often find I have salmonless risotto left, too, for other purposes. The risotto also freezes well, though the consistency may change a bit from the thawing process. Reconstituting the rice with a bit of broth will help maintain that soft texture.

Enjoy!

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

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