Smoked Salmon or Smoked Trout Green Pea Risotto

In a separate saucepan on a hotplate, place -

▶4 cups chicken or clear seafood stock

Keep hot.

Into a Dutch oven (or large saucepan) place -

▶1 tbsp butter
▶1/3 cup finely diced red or brown onion
▶1 clove garlic, crushed

Sauté gently until onion has softened but not browned. Add -

▶1 heaped cup Arborio rice

Stir for about 5 minutes or until rice takes on the golden colour of the butter.

Add -

▶1 cup dry white wine

Simmer until absorbed.

Now start adding the hot chicken or seafood stock, one ladle at a time. Simmer over low heat stirring often. When liquid has evapourated, add next ladle of stock. Repeat.

When the final ladle of stock is poured in, stir in -

▶125gm soft cream cheese
▶1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
▶1 cup frozen peas

Continue simmering until stock has absorbed. All up this should take about 1/2 hour. Just before end (rice will be creamy), stir through -

▶200gm diced smoked salmon or smoked trout

Garnish with -

▶drizzle extra virgin olive oil
▶chopped parsley
▶lemon wedges

Serve immediately.

Seafood Stew

This seafood dish is cooked and served like a soup, but I tend to associate soup as a starter to a meal. However this is very hearty and rich so I call it a "stew". The base stock can be made ahead of time and frozen until needed for a quick, last-minute meal. Add the seafood just before serving.

In a large stockpot gently sauté until softened but not browned -

▶2 tblsp butter or oil
▶1 large brown onion, peeled and finely diced
▶2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced

Add -

▶3 med/large waxy potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
▶3 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced
▶6 cups fish stock (commercially made okay)
▶pinch pure saffron

Cover, simmer 1/2 hour. (Can be frozen at this stage.)

Just before serving, add -

▶about 4 cups diced seafood mixture*

(* a tasty combination is a piece of fresh red salmon; a piece fresh white-fleshed fish; uncooked prawn flesh.)

Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until seafood is just cooked.

To serve, garnish with -

▶lots chopped parsley