Fish Risotto

On a couple of occasions this year I have made stock from the left-over fish bones after filleting the CSF fish. That was really the best way to make sure we made the most of the fish the week we had Yellow tail Flounder. When you fillet flounder you don’t actually get a lot of meat, and the fact that the remains are mostly cartilage means that it makes lovely gelatinous stock. Until recently it was too hot to think about doing a fish chowder, so I ended up using some of the stock for a fish risotto.

I couldn’t find a recipe that I thought sounded just right, so I took ideas from Rimini’s Fish Risotto, this Risotto with Tilapia, and a Lemon Herb and Fish Risotto. Here’s what I came up with and it turned out pretty well.

Fish Risotto

1 lb white fish fillets, (e.g., cod, pollock, hake etc.)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup white wine
4-5 cups fish stock
2 pinches saffron
400 g arborio rice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, oregano)
3 Tbsp butter
olive oil

• Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Saute the fish a few minutes on each side until done. Set aside on a plate for later.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. While that is cooking bring the fish stock to a bare simmer in a separate pot.
• When the onions are cooked, add the rice and the saffron and sauté for a few minutes stirring so they don’t brown. Add the white wine and lemon juice and stir until the wine is absorbed.
• Add a half cup of the hot fish stock and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed.
• Continue adding the fish stock a half cup at a time until the rice reaches the al dente stage.
• Add half of the chopped fresh herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper and stir. Taste and add more flavorings as needed.
• Flake the cooked fish and add it to the rice.
• Take the rice off the heat and stir in an additional tablespoon of butter for extra creaminess.

Serve immediately.

Notes: I also added a few tablespoons of light cream with the stock near the end. That seemed to add to the richness.