Aromatic Salmon Steamed in Foil With Saffron Risotto
Easy and Festive
Aromatic Salmon Steamed in Foil wth Saffron Risotto | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
Rule One of entertaining: Plan ahead to make everything as effortless as possible; this will free you to enjoy time with your guests. Rule Two of entertaining: Prepare and/or cook whatever you can in advance so you can follow Rule One.
I know the rules, but once in a while I throw myself a curve and serve something at a party that keeps me in the kitchen for a bit. My guests can entertain themselves for a little while, can’t they? Here are two recipes I served at a recent dinner party for a friend’s birthday. One follows the rules; the other bends them a little.
There would be six of us, and I wanted to make something festive that wouldn’t break the bank. A recipe for Aromatic Salmon Steamed in Foil from Toni Lydecker’s book “Seafood All Siciliana,” published by Lake Isle Press would serve nicely. I upped the salmon quantity to two pounds (to serve six) and left out the olives (not a fan), but otherwise followed the recipe. Fish roasted in parchment or foil is pretty much guaranteed to come out perfectly with no fussing as long as you put it in the oven at the right temperature for the right amount of time. Bonus: no clean-up.
I paired the fish with risotto because risotto feels a touch special to me. It has a rap for being labor-intensive, so people are more likely to order it in restaurants than make it themselves. That’s not really the case: sure, it takes more effort to whip up a risotto than it does to make a pot of basmati, but it demands no great skill and you can accomplish it in about twenty minutes.
Thus, although risotto does not strictly adhere to the first two rules it is covered by Rule Three of entertaining, which I just made up: If you do need to spend time away from your guests, try to keep it under 20 minutes.
I chose a recipe for Saffron Risotto, also from Toni, from her Lake Isle Press book “Piatto Unico,” and added a cup of frozen peas at the end for a touch of green. In keeping with the “prep in advance” rule, I had the saffron, shallot, chicken broth, peas, and cheese measured and ready to go. Same thing with the salmon: the foil, lemon, and capers were at the ready.
The result was delicious, felt celebratory, and was still easy to prepare. On the day of the party I even had time to make the birthday cake twice, since for the first go-round I mistakenly added baking soda instead of baking powder—which I have never done before, honest!—and the cake was a mess. I punted and made cupcakes instead, which were baked, cooled and iced in plenty of time.
Some of my friends who entertain often are in the “have it catered/get take-out” camp. They make it effortless from the word go and eliminate the advance-prep by outsourcing it. Same thing goes for clean-up—disposables win the day.
I get that. It is definitely easier, it’s just not as fun. For me, the pleasure of entertaining starts with planning and goes on from there: setting the menu, doing the shopping, working out the timing, preparing the food, setting the table. I love all of it. I even love it enough to break the rules now and again.
Aromatic Salmon Steamed in Foil Recipe
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes 4 servings | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: about 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1½ pounds wild salmon or Arctic char fillet in 1 piece, at room temperature
Sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup white wine
1 lemon, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch slices
8 to 10 black oil-cured olives or other small olives (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons salt-cured capers, soaked in water for several minutes and drained
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Tear off a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or a double layer of regular foil) large enough for the salmon plus a border of about 5 inches on all sides. Lay it shiny side down on a rimmed baking sheet.
Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on the foil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the salmon liberally with olive oil and pour the wine over it (turn up the foil edges if necessary to trap the liquid); arrange the lemon slices in an overlapping pattern down the center. Scatter the olives (if using) and capers around. Draw together the long edges of the foil and fold over several times, crimping tightly to prevent leakage but leaving ample room for steam to circulate; close the ends in the same way.
Cook the foil packet for 15 minutes. After removing it from the oven, let it stand for a couple of minutes before opening. With a spatula, gently slide the salmon and other
Saffron Risotto Recipe
Click here for printable recipe
Makes 6 Servings | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large pinch saffron threads
2½ cups homemade meat broth or store-bought reduced-salt or unsalted chicken broth
Sea salt or kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup finely chopped onion or shallot
2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
⅔ cup grated Grana Padano or other aged cheese
PREPARATION
Crumble the saffron into a small bowl. Cover with ¼ cup tepid water; set aside to steep.
Combine the broth with 2½ cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil; adjust the heat to a slow simmer. Season to taste with salt.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook for a minute or so, until the grains are coated and smell toasty. Add the wine, stirring until most is absorbed. Ladle on enough of the hot broth to cover the rice. Simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more broth as the liquid is absorbed (you may not need it all), until the rice is cooked but still a bit firm in the center, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; add the saffron water and a final ladleful of broth; cover and allow the risotto to collect itself for about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the cheese.
Divide the risotto among plates and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Aromatic Salmon Steamed in Foil Recipe
from Seafood alla Siciliana: Recipes & Stories From a Living Tradition
by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2009
“A uniquely satisfying cookbook [full of] alluring, easy-to-follow recipes.”
—Food & Wine
Seafood alla Siciliana: Recipes & Stories From A Living Tradition” is the first cookbook to explore in depth the rich culinary dimensions of Sicilian seafood, features recipes that burst with authentic flavor and bring to life the island’s eclectic cooking styles—a brilliant mix of Greek, Arab, French, and Spanish influences. Nothing could be simpler or more delicious than a Sicilian-style baked or grilled fish, served with a simple salmoriglio sauce of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and oregano, and this cookbook will show how to put it on the table.
Also from “Seafood Alla Siciliana”
Braised Grouper Over Sweet Pea Puree
FIND OUT MORE
BUY THE BOOK
Saffron Risotto Recipe
From “Piatto Unico: When One Course Makes a Real Italian Meal”
by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2011
“A real Italian meal consists of several courses. Except when it doesn’t.”
—Toni Lydecker
A languorous multi-course Italian meal is a traditional and wonderful thing; in this authoritative collection, Toni Lydecker leads us to the simple beauty of the piatto unico or one-course Italian meal. Well-balanced and packed with bold flavors, the piatto unico pairs the rustic simplicity of great Italian cooking with a modern sensibility.
ALSO FROM “PIATTO UNICO”
Braised Chicken With Sweet Bell Peppers
Couscous Confetti Salad with Tuna Recipe
Herbed Roast Pork Tenderloin with Parsnip Puree Recipe
Minestrone With Chicken for a Crowd Recipe
Mountain Salad With Bacon, Fontina, and Sweet-Sour Onions Recipe
Orecchiette Al Fumo Recipe
Pot Roast with Porcini and Root Vegetables Recipe
Spring Greens With Rice Soup Recipe
