Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the stock:
2 leeks
1 carrot/diced
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 bulb of garlic
2 sticks of celery/diced
1 bunch of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
10 peppercorns
1.7 litres water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
*optional- can use chicken stock pre-bought
 500g salmon fillets, skin off (but set aside to dry on paper towels)

For the Risotto:

2 leeks, finally diced
2 teaspoons each of butter and rapeseed oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 cups (425g) risotto rice, such as Arborio
1/2 bottle of dry white wine
1 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 cup mascarpone cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1 bunch of chives, finely diced
2 tablespoon baby capers (the best are the ones in salt), fried
 
To make the stock, roughly chop the vegetables. Place in a pot with bay leaves, salt, pepper, and water. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the lemon juice at the end.

Remove the stock from the heat and place the salmon in the stock, pressing down so it is mostly covered, and stand with the lid on for 8-10 until cooked but still a little pink in the centre of the fillet. Remove the salmon to a plate, slip a knife under the skin to carefully remove it from the fillet, and break the fillet apart into flakes when cool enough to handle. Add a little salt and olive oil and leave to cool.

If using the salmon skin as a garnish, season the skin with a little salt and place it in a hot fry pan, fatty side down. You will need to hold it flat with a spatula so it does not curl up. Turn after a minute or two; drain the skin on paper towel. Slice finely and set aside.

Drain the stock into a saucepan and place over a low heat; discard the vegetables.

To make the risotto, heat the butter and oil over a low heat, add the leeks, and gently sauté for 8-10 minutes, without browning. Add the garlic and cook through another few minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the rice, stirring for a few minutes to seal the rice grains. Add the wine and continue to cook, stirring until absorbed. Add 1 cup of stock and stir every minute or two until absorbed. Add another cup of stock, and continue to stir, adding more stock a bit at a time until the rice is tender to bite but not mushy; this will take approximately 15 minutes. At the very end add the cheeses and then gently fold through the flaked salmon, lemon zest and capers. Top with crispy salmon skin and chives.