Pesto risotto with baked salmon

This recipe is a bit haphazard – like the photo – as it was cooked under the influence … But, sozzled or not, there’s nothing more divine than pesto (except, perhaps, crab with stir-fried rice cake at New Shanghai). Love the stuff. I used the pesto I made on Friday (no official recipe, just a bunch of basil, about 2 tablespoons of pinenuts, a generous sprinkle of parmesan and lots of olive oil in a food processor) and baked some salmon at 200C in the oven for about 10 minutes to place on top. Pics are not my finest hour, but it tasted absolutely delish.

Pesto risotto with baked salmon

INGREDIENTS: pesto, 1 litre chicken stock, 1 cup dry white wine, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 & 1/2 cups arborio rice, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 finely chopped onion, 4 salmon fillets.

METHOD: Heat chicken stock and wine in saucepan. Heat oil over medium heat, add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Add rice, saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until rice starts to brown. Add stock mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until each has been absorbed. This should take about 20 minutes. At the halfway mark, roast salmon on baking paper in oven. Test rice, it’s ready when creamy and slightly al dente. When it’s cooked, stir through pesto. Serve in bowls with a salmon fillet on top of each.