Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Risotto

5 from 4 votes

Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Risotto

This pan-seared salmon is served with a dairy-free lemon risotto made with seafood broth, Arborio rice and lemon zest. Optionally, add saffron for extra flavor and color!

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: people

Calories: 803kcal

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Ingredients

Lemon Risotto:

2 cups seafood stock Or use vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
¾ cup Arborio rice
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes Use ½ teaspoon for a little more heat.
small pinch saffron (optional)
1 cup dry white wine Or use an additional 1 cup stock or broth
1 lemon, zested + juiced
extra sea salt, to taste (optional) Amount of salt needed will depend on how salty your stock or broth is.

Salmon:

8 ounces salmon (2 fillets)
¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)
pinch salt + pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

Lemon Risotto:

Heat stock in saucepan over medium heat until hot, and then keep warm on low heat.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan (such as a wok) or a Dutch oven. When the oil begins to ripple, add the diced onion and cook 3-4 minutes until the onions soften.
Add garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute.
Add rice and stir 1-2 minutes to toast.
Add the chili flakes. If using saffron, add it now.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add white wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until wine is completely absorbed (4-5 minutes).
Ladle about ½ cup of stock into the pan, and stir every few minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
Test to see if you're ready to add more stock: Use a spatula or spoon to pull the rice across the pan. If the space immediately fills with liquid, the rice isn't ready. When the space stays dry, the rice is ready for more broth.
Continue adding the stock in ½ cup batches, stirring until the liquid is totally absorbed before adding more stock. Continue until you're out of stock and the rice is tender but firm.
Stir in the lemon zest and juice. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Salmon:

Pat salmon dry. Rub the flesh-side of the salmon with paprika (if using). Sprinkle fillets on both sides with salt and pepper.
Add olive oil and butter to a heavy pan. Melt butter over medium heat.
Place the fillets skin-side down in the pan and cook 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. (If your salmon fillets don't have skin, it doesn't matter which side you cook first.) As the salmon cooks, the flesh will begin to turn opaque from the bottom up. When the fish has cooked halfway through, it's ready to flip
.Avoid touching the fish until the fish is ready to flip.
Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish. If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the fillets won't release, give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.
Cook fish another 2-4 minutes until done. Timing will depend on the thickness of the fillet. (Watch the sides of the fillets to see when the fish is done cooking. It's finished as soon as there are no more translucent patches and it's fully opaque.)
Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200ºF oven.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the lemon juice to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon, and allow the juice to reduce for about a minute, then turn off the heat. Pour the pan sauce into the risotto and stir.
Plate the risotto first and top with the salmon. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 2 generously or makes 4 smaller servings. (If serving 4, serve along with other side dishes or add 2 additional salmon fillets.)

Risotto color:

If adding saffron, the risotto will be a deep orange color.
If omitting saffron, you can (optionally) add a dash of turmeric to add a golden yellow color to the dish. Add the turmeric near the end of the cook time along with the shrimp.

Nutrition