We payed our last visit to Whole Paycheck and literally spent almost all of it on only a few items. We chose some pricey items, in the mushroom, the fish, the meat and the wine sections, but we were still shocked when got to the register. Fancy food!

I look forward to the equally fancy food (fancier because it will be local) that won’t have these prohibitively high prices. Nice bottles of wine for a few euros a bottle, fish as fresh as they come and freshly picked mushrooms in the fall. Italians may complain about the continual inflation in the cost of food, but they have no idea what Americans are willing to pay for quality foods.

I froze some gorgeous fish broth a while back and it would have pained me to throw it away, so we decided to make risotto for our dinner the other night. We were both looking for a some new flavors and paired chanterelle mushrooms and salmon, tossing chives in at the end, a risky surf an turf approach to a simple meal, ending up being delicious.

Risotto with Salmon, Chanterelles and Chives

• 1 cup of Carnaroli or Arborio rice (Italians measure rice by demitasse cups, 1 cup for each person and one for the pot)
• 1 fillet of salmon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 5 ounces chanterelles, sliced
• ½ an onion, chopped finely
• 5 cups fish or vegetable stock
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 2 tbsp butter
• a small bunch of fresh chives
• salt to taste

Chop the onion into fine pieces and bring the broth to a simmer. Heat a large stovetop casserole pan over medium-high heat and melt butter at the bottom of the pan. When the butter is melted add onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the rice and coat it in the butter, toasting it a bit. When the rice becomes opaque, after about 1 minute, add the wine to the pan, enough to cover the rice, stirring frequently.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, add the salmon and the chanterelles and add a ladleful of broth to the pan and continue stirring. Repeat. Continue adding the broth as the rice absorbs it, you want it to almost dry out before adding the broth each time.

When the rice is finished it should be al dente and all of the liquid should be absorbed. Remove from heat and toss in the chopped chives and a tab of butter. Serve immediately.

One Year Ago: Spaghetti With Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes and Olives, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Risotto with Pumpkin and Olives & Lentil Stew With Pumpkin

Two Years Ago: What to do with Leftover Meatballs! & Maple Pear Upside-Down Cake

Three Years Ago: Ristorante in Lavagna, Spaghetti with Calamari and Artichokes & Cornetto Salato with Prosciutto di San Daniele

~ by italicious on December 31, 2011.

Posted in chives, mushrooms, onions, primi, risotto, salmon
Tags: chanterelles, chives, risotto, salmon