Asian Style Seared Salmon with Lemongrass Risotto

I love lemongrass. Where I come from, using lemongrass in cooking is a norm and we use it often. In London, I cook with lemongrass at least once 2 weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try Lemongrass Risotto to accompany the Seared Salmon marinated in Asian Marinade.

I never tried cooking lemongrass risotto, so I was quite pleased on how it turned. Nice and creamy, but light and refreshing.

Feeds 2 people

Pre-cooking preparation 10-15 minutes

Cooking time 35-40 minutes ( most tasks can be done while the risotto is being prepared)

Takes medium effort to prepare

What will you need?

For the Risotto

200g Arborio rice

3 -4 tablespoon olive oil/ butter ( Butter will give you richer taste)

2 lemongrass* stalks chopped (as fine as possible)

A small piece (2 inches) of galangal *(or ginger if you can’t find Galangal)

1 medium onion chopped

1 red chilli de-seeded and chopped

170ml chicken/vegetable stock

150ml coconut milk

170ml dry white wine

60g peas (optional)

Salt and Ground Black Pepper for Seasoning

For the Asian Salmon Marinade

2 Salmon Fillets

2 tablespoon Kecap Manis *(use molasses or Dark Soy Sauce plus 1 tablespoon palm/brown sugar if you don’t have any)

1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Lime Juice

3 Spring onions chopped (Use to bottom white bit)

2 inches Ginger chopped

2 cloves of Garlic chopped

1 fresh red chilli de-seeded and chopped

2 tablespoon Palm Sugar* (or Brown Sugar)

4 Fresh Mint Leaves Chopped

1 spring or Fresh parsley Chopped

Salt and Ground Black Pepper for Seasoning

The garnish

Chopped fresh spring onion, parsley and mint

Fried garlic and chopped red chilli

1/2 cup Roasted Coconut Flakes

How to Prepare

The Salmon Marinade

1. Mix all the marinade all ingredients for the marinade. Marinade the salmon, till the risotto is about 10 minutes from being ready to be served.

preparing Risotto

1. Get your vegetable/chicken stock ready. If you cube or the jelly version. Dissolve them in hot water.
2. You start of by cooking a very basic risotto. Heat some butter/oil in a pot.
3. Put in the onion, garlic, fresh chilli and lemon grass. Cooking until onion is tender. At this point you will be able to smell the fragrance of the lemongrass.
4. Add in the Alborio rice and stir until evenly coated with butter/oil. Do not brown the rice.
5. When the rice sautéed, pour in the wine and stir till liquid has been absorbed.
6. Add in the stock one ladle at a time. Let it to simmer gently and keep stirring constantly.
7. When the liquid has been absorbed at repeat Step 7. Repeat till rice is tender, not too soft.
8. When the rice is a couple of ladles away to be ready. Add in the coconut milk and peas. And stir.
9. If the rice is too ‘Al dente’, add in more stock till desired texture is reached.
10. The Risotto now is almost ready. It should be nice and creamy.
11. Season with salt and pepper

Searing The Salmon

1. Heat a non-stick pan with sesame oil over high heat.
2. Remove Salmon from marinade and place it skin side down on the pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium to low.
4. Let the salmon to cook about 5-7 minutes. Do not move the salmon -Till ¾ of the fish has been cooked through.
5. Turn it over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
6. Salmon is now ready.

The Garnish

Plating

1. Place the risotto on plate.
2. Garnish the risotto with fresh garnish.
3. Place the Salmon on the Risotto.
4. Place the garlic, chilli and roasted coconut garnish on the fish.

Other options: If you prefer, you can cook the marinade, thicken it up and pour over the salmon before you serve. Taste good either way.

Kecap Manis – Most commonly knows as Indonesian soy sauce, but it very widely used in Malaysia too. In Malay and Indonesian language it is called kecap/kicap (ketchup). Kicap Manis literally means Sweet Ketchup. This thick soy based sauce is sweet due to the plam sugar in the sauce. Very commonly used in stir fries, but my favourite is the’ Fish cooked in Kicap manis with Bird eye chillies- which is to die for.

Galangal- From the ginger family but has a stronger taste -very common in South East Asian cooking. Well know to be used in ‘Rendang’. In London, you will get in South East Asian shops, Chinese Shops ( China Town London) and in Waitrose ( dried galangals – you will find World cuisine aisle)

Lemongrass-very common South East Asian ingredient also used other parts out South Asia. For i.e in Kerala, India. Lemongrass is one of my favourite ingredients. When I first came to London, I was only able to get this from South East Asian shops and Chinese Shops (China Town London). Then Waitrose started selling them too and very recently so has Sainsbury. If you find it difficult to find fresh Lemongrass, you can always find the dry version in Waitrose ( you will find World cuisine aisle) or you can grow you own