Cream Pesto Orzo with Salmon
Equipment
Ingredients
Pesto
parmesan, grated
30 g
basil leaves
30 g
walnuts, toasted
40 g
garlic clove
1 piece
spinach
130 g
black pepper
1 pinch
sea salt
1 pinch
Orzo
leek, finely chopped
1 piece
unsalted butter
40 g
olive oil
15 ml
garlic cloves, sliced
2 piece
orzo
300 g
stock
900 ml
Salmon & Serving
salmon fillets
4 piece
high heat oil
30 ml
fine sea salt
10 g
sour cream
100 g
dill, chopped
20 g
lemon zest and juice
1 piece
Instructions
Prepare salmon
Place salmon fillets onto a baking tray with rack, sprinkle both sides with fine sea salt and leave in fridge until ready to cook.
Toast walnuts
Toast walnuts in dry pan until golden brown and fragrant.
Blanch spinach
Blanch spinach leaves in boiling water for 20 seconds, then cool in ice bath. Squeeze out excess moisture.
Make pesto
Add parmesan, basil, walnuts, garlic, spinach, salt and pepper to blender. Blitz until smooth.
Cook leeks
Add leeks, butter and oil to pan. Cook 5 minutes over medium-high heat until softened and starting to caramelise.
Cook orzo
Add orzo and stock, bring to simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes on low heat. Add water if needed halfway.
Combine pesto with orzo
Remove orzo from heat and stir in pesto. Mix well.
Prepare salmon for frying
Remove salmon from fridge and pat skin dry.
Fry salmon
Add oil to frying pan over high heat, lay salmon skin side down. Press down, reduce to medium-high, cook 5 minutes until crisp. Flip and sear flesh 2 minutes.
Serve
Place salmon on top of orzo with dollop of sour cream, chopped dill, lemon zest and juice.
Original recipe
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Reheat salmon gently to avoid drying out.
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