This Hylian dinner comes from eastern Hyrule, enhanced by an ingredient from western Hyrule. Risotto, a dish common in East Necluda, is enhanced by the Hearty Salmon that swim in the colder waters of Tabantha and Hebra.
“Restores your health and temporarily increases your maximum hearts. The rice used in this rich risotto permeates the light flavor of the salmon.”
For this recipe we are going to make a fairly basic risotto using arborio rice. Arborio rice is very starchy, so as broth is slowly added to the rice and the rice is constantly stirred, the starch will ooze from the rice, creating a creamy sauce that envelopes the dish. The addition of butter and cheese to the finished rice brings together the flavor. This risotto will be enhanced by salmon three ways: fried salmon, smoked salmon, and salmon roe. The end result is a rustic and hearty dish packed full of salmon flavor. Its the perfect meal for filling the belly of any hungry Hylian.
Ingredients
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 salmon filets (about ½ lb each)
1 small shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
½ cup white wine
¼ tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
12 slices of smoked salmon
2 oz salmon roe
Handful of parsley, chopped
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 salmon filets (about ½ lb each)
1 small shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
½ cup white wine
¼ tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
12 slices of smoked salmon
2 oz salmon roe
Handful of parsley, chopped
Pour the broth into a small stock pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat and then reduce to low to maintain simmer. Season the salmon filets generously with salt and pepper.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan or pot over medium heat. Add salmon filets skin side down. Pan fry the salmon for 4 minutes, then flip the salmon and fry flesh side down for about 4-5 minutes more, until the salmon is done to your liking. Remove the salmon from the pan and place aside on plate.
When the salmon cools a little, remove the skin from the salmon and then, using a fork, flake the salmon into small pieces.
Add the shallots to the warm pan over medium heat (you can add an additional tablespoon of oil if needed, but there should be enough in the pan). Cook them until soft, which should be about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice along with ¼ tsp salt and stir to coat evening with oil. Sauté the rice for 3-5 minutes. The rice should turn opaque, but do not let it brown or burn.
Add the white wine, stir, and allow to cook until the wine just about completely cooks off. Now, add the broth a half cup at a time (I usually use a ladle). Stir frequently as the broth cooks off. Do not add the next ½ cup of broth until the prior is almost completely cooked off. Do not allow the rice to burn through this process. Keep stirring. As the rice cooks it should begin to release starch and become a little creamy. You do not need to stir rapidly, just consistently, and do not stop stirring the rice.
It should take around 20-25 minutes to completely cook the rice to al dente. Once the rice is al dente (firm, but not undercooked), completely stir in one more ladle of stock. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 2 tbsp of butter and stir in to melt. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to fully melt it into the risotto. Lastly, stir the salmon pieces into the rice, and then salt to taste. The rice should now be tender, but not overcooked and mushy, and it should have a creamy consistency. Enough starch should have leached out so that it appears the rice is sitting in a cream based sauce. The risotto will thicken as it sits, so I recommend serving right away. If it’s dry and/or not creamy enough, stir in a little more hot broth to get it creamy.
Slice each piece of smoked salmon into strips for serving. To serve the risotto, add a portion of the risotto to a shallow bowl and garnish with chopped parsley. Add a dollop of salmon roe to the center of the risotto. Curl three pieces of the sliced smoked salmon and add them to the top of the risotto around the salmon roe. The hearty salmon risotto is ready to serve.
Learn more about the Hearty Salmon Risotto dish from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at Zelda Dungeon.