Lemon & Asparagus Risotto with Pan-Seared Salmon

One of the things I love most about cooking is that nutrition often takes care of itself when you start with good ingredients. Rather than trying to chase the latest health trend, simply making the most of seasonal produce and building balanced, satisfying meals around that is often enough.

Spring asparagus has such a short season, it's worth celebrating while it's here. This risotto is one of my favourite ways to make the most of it. The lemon keeps everything tasting light and fresh, while the little bit of mascarpone adds just enough richness to make it feel indulgent without becoming heavy. Topped with a piece of crispy pan-fried or barbecued salmon, it's the sort of meal that feels a bit special, despite being surprisingly easy to make.

From a nutrition perspective, it's a great choice either pre or post-workout. The rice provides the carbohydrates your body uses for energy, while the salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein essential for muscle repair and recovery. A single piece of salmon also provides your RDA of omega-3, the fatty acids that play a key role in heart, brain and joint health. Asparagus adds fibre, along with vitamins such as folate and vitamin K.

Serves 1 (multiply up to feed more mouths)

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 very small onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 75g risotto rice

• 200ml hot chicken or vegetable stock

• A good splash of white wine (optional)

• 5 large asparagus spears, cut in half widthways

• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

• 1 fresh salmon fillet, skin on (about 120g)

• 2 heaped tsp mascarpone cheese

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• A couple of large handfuls of rocket, or any other salad leaves, dressed with a little lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to serve

You’ll also need a non-stick pan with a diameter of about 23cm.

Method

  

• Pour a little olive oil into saucepan and set over a low-medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for a minute, then add the chopped garlic and fry until softened, but not turning brown.

• Add the risotto rice to the pan and stir quickly so that the grains become coated in the oil and look shiny, but so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. After about 30 seconds, or sooner if the rice looks like it's starting to catch, add a good splash of white wine if using, otherwise add a little of the stock. Stir well and turn the heat down to low.

• As the rice soaks up the wine/stock, continue to add the stock to the risotto in batches, stirring as you go.

• Meanwhile, blanche the asparagus in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the water and submerge in ice-cold water (this will keep the asparagus looking crisp, green, and fresh)

• After 20 minutes or so, give your risotto a taste and see how close the grains of rice are to being cooked; slightly al dente is what you’re after. When it’s nearly ready, pat your salmon fillet dry with a piece of kitchen towel, rub with a little olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat a fry pan — or the bbq grill — to a high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the salmon, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fillet over and cook for a further minute on the other side, or to your liking (the beauty of cooking salmon this way is that you can watch as the pink flesh changes colour and reaches your preferred amount of cooked-through-ness. Personally I like my salmon a little rare in the middle, but cook it for longer if you'd rather it was cooked all the way through).

• Stir the grated lemon zest, mascarpone and a little salt and pepper through the risotto, then add the asparagus spears and stir gently to combine. Remove from the heat.

• Serve the risotto topped with the seared salmon and your simply dressed salad on the side.

 

Nutrition

	Per 100g	Per serve (632g)
Calories	118 kcal	745.8 kcal
Carbohydrate	11.2 g	70.8 g
of which sugars	0.6 g	3.8 g
Fat	5.6 g	35.4 g
of which saturates	1.6 g	10.1 g
Protein	6.2 g	39.2 g
Fibre	0.4 g	2.5 g