Creamy smoked haddock risotto flavoured with fresh rosemary and gently simmered in a pan of white wine, whole milk and vegetable stock. The fish is delicately poached beforehand and the whole recipe takes just over 30 minutes to make.
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👩🏻🍳 Why make this recipe
If you've never made risotto before, this is the perfect recipe for first timers and risotto experts alike. With minimal fuss and ingredients, this smoked haddock risotto is easy to nurture into a pillowy pot of rice, with plenty of bite still left in each grain. A warming, wholesome dish that is made by, simply and gradually, adding milky stock to starchy rice. A great option for the whole family, any night of the week.
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe makes enough smoked haddock risotto to serve 2 people (or 4 starter-sized portions):
Ingredient notes
Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and also use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.
Risotto rice: For risotto rice you are looking for short grains with a high starch content. Look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli or simply; risotto rice.
Smoked Haddock: Smoked haddock gives risotto the most incredible flavour and in my opinion its the best fish to serve with this dish. However, if you prefer you can opt for unsmoked haddock or smoked haddock that isn't dyed or try with another white, chunky fish such as cod instead.
Milk: This recipe uses whole milk, which adds to the creaminess of the risotto. If you prefer, use skimmed or semi skimmed or replace the milk completely with stock. Any of these options will result in a less creamy risotto.
Parmesan: Any hard Italian cheese will work well.
Wine: I love the flavour of white wine in risotto and so in my book, its always a must. But if required it can be replaced with a little apple juice or just left out completely.
🔪 Step by step instructions
- Pour the cold stock and milk into a wide pan. Stir together then place in the haddock fillets and bring the pan to a simmer. Gently poach for 3 minutes making sure the pan doesn’t boil. Then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and break into chunky flakes, discarding any skin. Keep the milky stock warm in the pan ready for making the risotto.
- Melt the butter in a wide (30cm) pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Then add the risotto rice and stir into the onion allowing the melted butter to coat and gently warm each grain.
- Next, add the wine and cook until it has nearly all reduced.
- Add the sprig off rosemary and then start to add the milky stock one ladle at a time. Stir attentively between each addition, only adding another ladleful when the previous one has been fully absorbed.
- Make sure all the milky stock goes into the risotto. It will probably take around 15-20 minutes to gradually add the whole lot. By this point the rice should have softened and plumped.
- Add the grated parmesan and lemon juice. Stir in well and keep cooking for a further minute to allow the lemon juice to absorb. Taste the risotto, it should be soft and creamy. The grains should be firm but not chalky. If the rice still has a chalky bite, stir in a ladle of hot water and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Hot water can also be added to loosen the risotto if you prefer a slightly soupier consistency. Once you're happy with the risotto, stir in the flaked smoked haddock.
- Top with fresh parsley and extra grated parmesan and serve.
💭 Expert tips
Butter: Use butter! A good helping of butter is always the best starting point for any risotto dish. Melted butter is used to 'awaken' the rice by coating and softening the uncooked grains so allowing liquids to be easily soaked in.
Patience: Risotto does require a little patience. Take your time a don't rush the gradual addition of the stock, I promise its well worth it.
Poaching haddock: This is a delicate approach to cooking the fish, which keeps it moist and flaky. The fish juices will also flavours the milky stock, which is then added to the risotto.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Risotto rice is usually plump, short-medium grains with a high starch content. This gives risotto its well known creamy texture when cooked. In the shops look for rice labelled as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone nano or just simply; risotto rice.
Arborio rice is the most widely available type of risotto rice and produces a lovely thick and soft risotto, but can be susceptible to overcooking (becomes sloppy). Carnaroli isn't as easy to find in the shops but is known to be the best due to its higher starch content and resistance to overcooking, which pretty much guarantees a thick and creamy risotto every time. Vialone nano has smaller, round grains and is considered to be as good as Carnaroli but produces a soupier risotto.
Risotto is best made fresh. The rice doesn't reheat well and more often than not, reheated risotto will overcook and become sloppy. So do bare this in mind when saving leftovers.
Transfer any leftovers to sealable containers. Make sure the risotto has fully cooled before sealing and storing in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cooled risotto will set and become hard. Reheat by returning to the pan with a little hot water and stir until heated through and piping hot. (Please note that proper cooling and reheating is essential for rice dishes).
The key to cooking risotto is a large surface area and allowing the rice to cook thoroughly and evenly in the stock. So any type of pan will do as long as it has a wide base. I recommend using a 30cm wide pan. A non-stick pan isn't essential so long as you pay close attention to the rice and maintain a good stir.
🍝 Other Italian recipes
- How To Make Pasta
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Traditional Tiramisu Recipe
- Tuscan Ribollita Soup
- Amarone Risotto
- Basil Pesto Recipe
- Italian Style Slow Cooker Ragu
If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!
📖 Recipe
Smoked Haddock Risotto
Equipment
- Wide poaching pan
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 fillets 280g of smoked haddock
- 450 ml vegetable stock
- 450 ml whole milk
- 20 g butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 170 g risotto rice
- 150 ml white wine
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon juiced
- 25 g grated parmesan or other hard Italian cheese
- 15 g fresh chopped parsley
- Extra parmesan to serve
Instructions
To poach the fish:
- Pour the cold stock and milk into a wide pan. Stir together then place in the haddock fillets and bring the pan to a simmer. Gently poach for 3 minutes making sure the pan doesn’t boil. Then remove the fish with a slotted spoon and break into chunky flakes, discarding any skin. Keep the milky stock warm in the pan ready for making the risotto.
To make the risotto:
- Melt the butter in a wide (30cm) pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Then add the risotto rice and stir into the onion allowing the melted butter to coat and gently warm each grain.
- Next, add the wine and cook until it has nearly all reduced.
- Add the sprig off rosemary and then start to add the milky stock one ladle at a time. Stir attentively between each addition, only adding another ladleful when the previous one has been fully absorbed.
- Make sure all the milky stock goes into the risotto. It will probably take around 15-20 minutes to gradually add the whole lot. By this point the rice should have softened and plumped.
- Add the grated parmesan and lemon juice. Stir in well and keep cooking for a further minute to allow the lemon juice to absorb. Taste the risotto, it should be soft and creamy. The grains should be firm but not chalky. If the rice still has a chalky bite, stir in a ladle of hot water and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Hot water can also be added to loosen the risotto if you prefer a slightly soupier consistency. Once you're happy with the risotto, stir in the flaked smoked haddock.
- Top with fresh parsley and extra grated parmesan and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
This post was first published in May 2016. Updated in Jan 2022 with an improved recipe, new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.
Chris Francis
Easy to follow and very tasty
Debbie Jones
So pleased to hear this Chris 🙂 glad you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting. Debbie x
Santanu
Well written and compiled a set of instructions. Easy to follow.
Debbie Jones
Thanks so much! Glad you found it easy to understand 🙂 Debbie x