Juicy pan seared salmon served with asparagus over creamy ackee and saffron risotto; it’s simple and elegant for date night and easy enough to pull off during the week.
Web and I aim to have date night (or day) each month on the number that corresponds with our anniversary; this means that some months – like it did this one – date night will fall on a weekday. Dressing up to go out for a fancy dinner can be nice, but sometimes you’d rather not wear pants 😆. That’s when making something special at home does the trick. With a little organization I was able to pull this meal together in about 30 minutes.
Hemenway’s Rhode Island
The ackee and saffron combo was reminiscent of the delicious paella shared on our anniversary dinner at Hemenway’s in Rhode Island.
Everything we had was perfect! For dessert (which we devoured before snapping pics 😮) we had Caramel Apple Bread Pudding and Key Lime Pie: a delectable finish to a lovely dinner.
But I digress, we’re supposed to be talking about salmon and ackee saffron risotto!
Salmon is one of our favourites for it’s full flavour and ease of preparation.
As a Caribbean girl I love marinating my proteins ahead of time and really letting the flavours meld together. However, life gets hectic and sometimes a sprinkle here and a sizzle there is required. This is where buying good quality ingredients come into play. A little can go a long way to making bold flavour especially when time is of the essence. My superstar ingredient here is smoked paprika which has a rich, deep, smoky flavour; is a gorgeous colour and doesn’t need much help by way of other ingredients.
How to make dinner in 30 minutes
To pull this meal together smoothly:
- I first started the stock boiling for the risotto and used that time to prepare the garlic, shallots, asparagus and ackee (basically measured out everything I was going to need)
- Preheated the oven to 375F and set another pot of salted water to boil for the asparagus then got a bowl with ice ready to cool down the asparagus.
- Then once the stock was good to go I started the risotto since it takes longest to cook.
- When there were about 15 minutes left I started the salmon.
- At the 10 minute mark, I blanched the asparagus, cooled it off and set it aside for when I was ready to serve.
- By the time the risotto was done so was the salmon, then I tossed the asparagus in garlic oil and seasoned it with salt and pepper then plated it all up
If this all still seems a bit overwhelming I promise it isn’t difficult; if you have to do things separately and keep them warm till the end, that’s fine, cooking should be fun not stressful.
What do you think? As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you make this or any of the recipes from this site be sure to #amazingackee and @amazingackee so that I can see your posts across social media.
Until next time, thanks for stopping by.
Ackee & Saffron Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil*
- 1/2 Shallot finely diced (onion can be substituted)
- 1-3 cloves Garlic finely minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 3/4 cup White wine optional
- 4 cups Vegetable stock chicken or seafood stock can also be used
- pinch Saffron threads about 1/4 tsp
- 3/4 cup Parboiled ackee, pureed (I pressed mine through a fine sieve, you could also use a food processor)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring stock to boil in a medium pot, then reduce to low to keep warm.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan over low heat. Cook shallots and garlic till soft and translucent (do this slowly so as to gently coax out the flavour we don't want to brown or burn the garlic)
- Turn the heat up to medium then add the rice stirring well so that all the grains are evenly coated with oil
- If using, pour over the wine and cook till it has evaporated, if not go to the next step.
- Add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring well and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take about 17 to 20 minutes. (If you used the wine you may have some stock left over)
- Before adding the last ladle of stock, add the saffron. Finally, add the ackee puree (you may need to add a bit more stock to adjust the consistency, once the ackee is added the risotto will become quick thick)
- Season with salt and pepper before serving
- Enjoy!
Notes
Pan Seared Paprika Salmon
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Coconut oil (I used refined but you may use unrefined if you like, or any other high heat neutral flavored cooking oil)
- 2 4 - 6oz Salmon fillets patted dry
- Smoked paprika as needed
- Garlic powder as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375FHeat coconut oil in skillet over medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, sprinkle salmon with paprika and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the oil is hot, place the salmon in the skillet skin side down and let cook about 2 minutes.
- Tilt the skillet and use a spoon to pour the oil over the tops of the fish, then place skillet in oven and cook to desired doneness 7 to 10 minutes (this will depend on how thick your fillet is, check at the 7 minute mark)
- Once fish is done, remove from oven and serve.
- Enjoy!