Hot Smoked Salmon Risotto

Bring the water (see ingredients list for amount) to the boil in a large saucepan and stir in the stock powder to dissolve. Keep the stock on a low heat ready to add to the risotto later. Heat a drizzle of oil in another large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the leek. Cook until the leek has softened, about 5 mins. Stir occasionally.

When the leek has softened, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Next, add the arborio rice and stir to evenly coat in the garlicky oil.

After 1 minute, stir in a ladle of the stock. When the stock has been absorbed by the rice, stir in another ladleful. Keep the pan on medium heat and continue stirring in stock, letting it absorb each time. The cooking time should be 20-25 mins and your risotto is done when your rice is ‘al dente’- cooked through but with a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle.

Once the risotto is done, stir in the smoked salmon flakes and cook for a couple of mins to ensure they are piping hot, then remove from the heat. Quickly stir in the butter, Italian style grated hard cheese and lemon zest. Stir in half the chives and a small squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add salt, pepper and more lemon juice too if you feel it needs it.