SALMON WITH ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOMS CREAMY RICE.

I could make this dish with a risotto, but I thought about how a risotto can be  intimidating to the ones thatare not familiar with it. So I made this easy, practical, versatile  and delicious version,  to make your day easy and still delightful. Enjoy.

Asparagus and mushroom creamy rice.

For the asparagus:

12 green asparagus (reserve some of the heads for garnish).

Boil a medium size pot of salted water, and when it boils submerge the asparagus and cook until "al dente" cooked but still have a bite to it.. Strain and place them into ice water. Strain them again and cut the heads that you going to use for garnish, and reserve. Cut the remaining asparagus into little pieces and reserve.

6-8 mushrooms thin sliced or diced if you prefer 

2 shallots small diced or 1 medium onion minced 

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 and 1/2 tbs butter+ a drizzle of olive oil

1 tbs capers  or Calamata olives pitted and cut into thirds 

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup brandy or dry white wine

1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 cup cooked rice

Into a medium size pan add butter plus a drizzle of olive oil and saute shallots or onion until soft, add mushrooms, add a pinch of salt and cook until mushrooms are soft. Add  garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add olives, capers, add brandy or wine, and cook for 40 seconds until the alcohol evaporates.

Add 1/3 cup of water( I use the water that I cooked the asparagus)

Add hot cooked rice, Parmesan cheese, and asparagus, and lemon zest. With a wooden spoon combine all together. 

Adjust salt, add pepper.

Add 1 tbs butter to finish

The rice should  not be soggy, but a little wet like a risotto.

For the salmon:

Wash the fish with lemon or lime juice.

Sprinkle salt and ground black pepper on each side of a salmon steak. About 1/3 of salt on each side , and 1/3 of pepper on each side.

Heat a skillet and add 1/2 tbs of olive oil, and 1/2 tbs butter Add fish top down, press with spatula, and cook it for 2-3 minutes, Turn the fish and cook the other side for approximately 2 minutes. 

When you add the fish to the hot pan, press with a spatula and do not move the fish around. Let it cook. It will make it crusty.

Place the fish into preheated oven 375 F for approximately 7-8 minutes to finish cooking.. Use a skillet that can go into oven so you only use one pan to do the fish. Serve half of a steak for each person. (I cut them after I bake so it remains moist inside).

To plate it, you can do as shown on photo above. 

Drizzle the top with 1 spoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Voilá.