Creamy Tomato Risotto with Pan Fried Barramundi

• chicken or vegetable broth↗6
• chopped onion0.5 cup
• a few cloves of minced garlic
• fresh thyme leaves, minced (adjust to taste)↗2 teaspoon
• butter↗2 tablespoon
• arborio rice↗1.5 cup
• tomatoes, grated or pulsed through a food processor↗4
• tomatoes, roughly chopped↗2
• grated Parmesan cheese0.25 cup
• large filets of Barramundi (skin on)↗3
• olive oil↗
• salt↗
• lemon juice↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan and keep it warm.

2. 2

   Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme. Stir until softened. Add the arborio rice and stir until coated with the butter.

3. 3

   Add 1 cup of warm broth and stir until absorbed. Repeat with 1/2 cup of pulsed tomatoes. Repeat again, alternating between broth and tomatoes, stirring after each addition until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until the risotto is cooked. This will take 20-30 minutes. Add a handful of Parmesan, the remaining chopped tomatoes, and salt to taste and stir to combine.

4. 4

   Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Add a generous swish of olive oil. Pat fish filets with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I also cut them in half since they were so big! Eyeball it based on the number of people you’re serving.) Add dry filets to the pan, skin side down, and fry for several minutes on each side. It will be hot and it might splatter, so watch out. When the fish is cooked and golden brown/crispy, remove from the pan.

5. 5

   Serve the fish with the risotto and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.

6. 6

   For a quick pan sauce, toss some butter in the pan that you fried the fish along with a pinch of thyme and lemon juice. Whisk until combined and serve over the fish.