Oven-baked Smoked Haddock Risotto
There's something about making a nice meal — not a quick one, but one that asks something of you — that quietly organises but also quietens the mind. You can't think too far ahead when you're watching a pan. The rhythm takes over. And at the end of it, there's something real. Something you made, and can eat, and share. Something deeply comforting.
Last week I made smoked haddock risotto. I've made it before, many times, but this time it felt like exactly the right thing. The kind of dish that does most of the work itself — you hand it over to the oven, and trust it. It reminded me that not everything needs to be solved. Some things just need tending.
This is one of my own favourite recipes, from my cookbook A Year in My Shetland Garden. I'm always quietly humbled when someone tells me that a recipe from it has become a regular in their kitchen — that it has found a place in someone else's life feels like the best thing a cookbook can do.
In Shetland, we are very lucky to have easy access to delicious fish. Smoked haddock is one of our firm favourites — the smoking semi-preserves the fish and keeps it fresh for longer. This oven-baked risotto is one of our regular summer dishes, quick and easy to make, and extra tasty when eaten outside.
Serves 6–8
NOTE: If you can't get hold of smoked haddock, smoked cod work beautifully in its place. For a milder flavour, undyed smoked fish is a good choice. You could also use hot-smoked salmon, though the texture is softer — fold it in gently at the end rather than baking it on top. In a pinch, fresh haddock or cod with a little smoked paprika stirred through will give a hint of that smoky depth.
You will need
25g butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 large leek, thinly sliced
300g arborio rice
½ tsp sea salt
100ml white wine
600ml chicken or vegetable stock
400ml full fat milk
3 large smoked haddock fillets (approx 500g)
50g Parmesan, grated, plus shavings to serve
100g baby spinach or perpetual spinach, chopped
150g garden peas
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Many thanks to Susie Williams - @whatsusanseesphotograhy for the lovely photos.
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, fan oven 180°C).
Heat the butter in a large ovenproof dish over a medium heat. Add the shallots and leek and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until just tender. Add the rice and stir for a further 2 minutes.
Add the salt and wine and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the stock and milk, bring to the boil and cook gently for 5 minutes before sitting the haddock on top.
Cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Remove from the oven and fold in the Parmesan, the peas and the spinach. Season with plenty of pepper, then cover the dish again and leave to rest for 2 minutes before serving. Finish with shavings of Parmesan.
