Saffron Asparagus Risotto with Crusted Salmon and Seared Shrimp

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A regional-Italian steakhouse-style plate made manageable at home: creamy saffron risotto studded with asparagus, topped with parmesan-herb crusted salmon and garlicky seared shrimp. The trick is sequencing — get the risotto to the halfway point, then cook both proteins in one skillet while the rice finishes, so everything lands hot at the same moment.

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken or seafood stock
• 1/4 tsp saffron threads (a generous pinch)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 4 6-oz skinless salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 12 large shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• extra grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F and set a rack in the upper third. Pour the stock into a saucepan, add the saffron threads, and bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Keep it hot on a back burner the whole time — cold stock stalls a risotto.
2. Prep everything before you turn on the risotto: dice the onion, mince the garlic, cut the asparagus, grate the cheeses. Pat the salmon and shrimp completely dry with paper towels and leave them on a plate at room temperature.
3. Make the crust: in a bowl, toss the panko, 1/3 cup Parmesan, parsley, thyme, melted butter, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper until the crumbs look like damp sand. Season the salmon fillets on all sides with salt and pepper, then brush the top of each with 1/2 teaspoon Dijon.
4. Toss the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the grated garlic, smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until you need them.
5. Start the risotto: in a wide, heavy 4-quart pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
6. Add the rice and stir 2 minutes, until the grains are coated and the edges look translucent with a white dot in the center. Pour in the wine and stir until it has almost fully evaporated, about 2 minutes.
7. Add hot saffron stock one ladle (about 3/4 cup) at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Keep the pot at a steady, lazy simmer. After about 10 minutes of this — roughly half the stock used — move on to the fish; the risotto will hold at a low simmer with an extra ladle of stock in it while you work.
8. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron or heavy stainless) over medium-high until it shimmers. Lay the salmon in presentation-side down and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes, then flip so the Dijon side faces up. Press the panko mixture firmly onto the tops of the fillets and slide the skillet into the 425°F oven. Roast 7 to 9 minutes, until the crust is golden and the thickest part registers 125 to 130°F for medium.
9. While the salmon roasts, go back to the risotto: continue adding stock a ladle at a time. When the rice is about 5 minutes from done (roughly 16 minutes of total simmering), stir in the asparagus pieces and another ladle of stock.
10. Transfer the finished salmon to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Return the same skillet to medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon butter, and when it foams add the shrimp in a single layer. Sear 90 seconds per side, until pink, opaque, and lightly charred at the edges. Off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice and swirl to coat.
11. Finish the risotto: it's ready when the grains are tender with a slight bite at the center and the whole thing flows like thick lava when you tilt the pot, about 18 to 22 minutes total. Off the heat, beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the 3/4 cup Parmesan, lemon zest, and black pepper. Taste and add salt as needed; loosen with another splash of hot stock if it looks tight.
12. Spoon the risotto into 4 warm shallow bowls. Set a crusted salmon fillet on each, lean 3 shrimp against it, and drizzle any pan butter from the shrimp skillet over the top. Shower with chives, extra Parmesan, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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