Doesn’t this risotto have a great color? I had some carrots, some fish stock, and some canned tomatoes I needed to use up, and thus this risotto was born. The cod was a nice addition that I bought especially for the dish. The flavor combination of carrot with lemon and cod works well, although it doesn’t have a pronounced carrot taste if that is what you’re looking for. I’d say adding the tomatoes is optional. It deepens the color and adds some umami, but is not really necessary. I used it because it needed to be used up. The cod is cooked in the hot risotto while it rests. That way, the cod is tender and juicy instead of dry and flaky. The carrots are steamed above the fish stock, so any flavor leaking from the carrots will end up in the risotto anyway. Here’s what I did…

Ingredients

For 2 servings

130 grams (2/3 cups) risotto rice, such as arborio

700 ml (3 cups) homemade fish stock

1 shallot

80 ml (1/3 cup) dry white wine

400 grams (.9 lbs) carrots, peeled

120 ml (1/2 cup) canned tomatoes, pureed in the food processor (optional)

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

300 grams (.66 lb) cod fillet

salt and freshly ground white pepper

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tsp sugar

Preparation

Bring about 700 ml (3 cups) fish stock to a boil…

…and put 400 grams (.9 lb) of peeled carrots above it in a steaming basket.

Steam until the carrots are tender (check with a fork), about 20 minutes. If the carrots are thick, slice them for quicker cooking.

Dice 300 grams (.66 lb) of cod, put it in a bowl with 1/2 tsp of salt and mix. Allow the salt to penetrate into the fish while you make the risotto.

Melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a wide shallow thick-bottomed pan, and add a minced shallot. Stir for a couple of minutes over medium heat or until the shallot is translucent.

Add 130 grams (2/3 cup) of risotto rice, and stir for a couple of minutes over medium heat or until the rice is very hot.

Add 80 ml (1/3 cup) of dry white wine, and stir until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.

Add 120 ml (1/2 cup) of canned tomatoes, if using, pureed in the food processor, and stir to incorporate.

Add the juice of half a lemon.

Stir over medium heat until the lemon juice and tomatoes have been absorbed.

Add a ladle of hot fish stock (be careful when you lift the basket with the carrots so the steam doesn’t burn you) to the rice, and stir over medium heat until the stock has been absorbed.

Keep adding more stock and keep stirring until the rice is cooked al dente, about 18 minutes.

Add grated zest of 1/2 lemon about halfway through the cooking.

When the carrots are tender…

…put them in a blender with a bit of stock…

…and blend until smooth.

Add the pureed carrots to the rice…

…as well as a teaspoon of sugar. Stir to incorporate.

Continue to add stock and stir as until the rice is al dente.

Add the cod and turn the heat to very low.

Add a tablespoon of minced fresh flat leaf parsley and a tablespoon of butter.

Stir to incorporate.

Cover and allow to rest for about 5 minutes over very low heat (or turn off the heat).

Gently stir again to check whether the cod is cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Serve on preheated plates.

Flashback

Spicy Sweet & Sour Pork Belly and Cauliflower is bursting with flavor. It starts with pork belly cubes cooked sous-vide with 5-spice. (You can also prepare this without a sous-vide cooker, though.) The pork is then deep fried briefly to crisp it up. The juices from the pork belly are used to create a darkly flavored sweet & sour sauce that is bursting with flavor from sambal oelek, fresh ginger, and caramelized onions. This sauce pairs well with the juicy tender pork belly. As a contrast to the deep dark flavors of the sauce, atjar-inspired spicy sweet & sour cauliflower that is equally bursting with flavor, but in a different fresher way. Served with some rice, this was one great meal! I have made this dish more often, and it has always been a success.