By Captain George Nippell
F/V JIMANI
Ingredients:
For the salmon: For the risotto:
2 filets wild Alaskan salmon (of choice) 1 cup Arborio rice
4 oz pomegranate molasses (recipe below) 1 tsp saffron
2-3 tbsp finely chopped pistachio nuts 6 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (arils) ¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup chopped shallots
Directions:
Pomegranate molasses is available at stores carrying Middle-Eastern products, but can easily be made with POM brand pomegranate juice. Add a quarter cup of sugar to two cups of POM juice, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, reducing by half to a cup or less. (Watch that it doesn’t burn.) It will thicken as it cools, so no worries if it appears a bit thin.
For the risotto, bring the chicken stock to a near-boil in a separate pot. Take a quarter cup of the stock and add the saffron to allow it to soak while you saute the shallots with either olive oil or butter. Add the Arborio rice and continue to saute 3-4 minutes and add the white wine. Once the wine is cooked off, add the hot chicken stock a ladle at a time, stirring constantly until the rice absorbs the stock, then continue to add one ladle at a time, continuing to stir until the rice has become creamy and fully absorbed the stock. (If you taste it and get a “crunch”, it’s not ready.) Add the saffron mixture as you finish the risotto (saffron loses its flavor if cooked too long or at too high a heat).
Season the salmon with salt and pepper (if you want a North African flair, add a sprinkle of Ras El Hanout, available at most well-stocked grocery stores). Brush lightly with the pomegranate molasses, and broil under high for 8-9 minutes 6 inches below the broiler. Remove and plate, adding another brush of the molasses, top with finely chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds and serve with risotto and salad.
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Have you tried this recipe? Let us know in the comments how it turned out!