Easy Smoked Haddock Risotto

This easy smoked haddock risotto is a comforting dish that's full of flavour and sure to delight all fish lovers. Smoked haddock, fresh leek and creme fraiche mix together to create a creamy fish risotto that's ready in just 45 minutes.

Haddock in risotto is something that may sound a bit odd, but this smoked haddock risotto is likely to change your mind. It packs quite a lot of flavours ranging from fresh leek to lemon and is made super creamy with a dash of creme fraiche.

I also add some baby spinach for a bit of colour, and I can tell you that both the texture and flavours are on point. This is a risotto that you should definitely try if you love fish!

What kind of haddock is good for risotto?

You can typically choose from two types of smoked haddock, dyed and undyed. The difference between dyed and undyed smoked haddock is only an aesthetic one, as both versions taste the same. Many fishmongers add a bright yellow dye to smoked haddock to make it more enticing to customers and to compensate for a lack of smoking time.

Undyed haddock is more flavoursome in some cases because it's smoked for longer. The process of smoking haddock is supposed to turn the fish yellow by itself, so the dye is used as a shortcut to imitate the smoking process.

Both dyed and undyed smoked haddock work well in this risotto, so it mostly depends on what you can find locally. I find it rather difficult to get my hands on undyed smoked haddock, so I used a dyed variety.

How do you make it?

To make this smoked haddock risotto, you start by poaching the fish first, then move to make the actual risotto. You'll need a large pot to poach the haddock and a pan to make the risotto.

Bring 1 litre of fish stock to a boil in a large pot and poach the smoked haddock for 3-4 minutes until flaky. Remove the haddock from the stock and set it aside, covered. Reserve the fish stock.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan that has a lid. Add the leek to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes on low- medium heat until the leek is tender.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Next, add the Carnaroli rice to the pan and toast for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook for a couple of minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

Start adding the fish stock, one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Repeat until the rice is al dente (you may not need all the stock). Stir the risotto often but not continuously for the perfect texture.

Fold the baby spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until it wilts. Next, add the creme fraiche and the flaked smoked haddock, and stir carefully. Add the lemon juice and fresh parsley, then season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe tips for the best smoked haddock and leek risotto

• The rice should be al dente, which meant that it should still have a bit of a bite. When the rice is cooked, make sure there's some liquid left in the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients; it shouldn't be too dry.
• Arborio rice works well in this recipe too.
• I use fish stock cubes for this recipe, but you can use homemade fish stock if you want. If you don't have any of these, simply poach the haddock in salted water instead and use that water to make the risotto.
• You can substitute the creme fraiche with double cream.

If you liked this easy smoked haddock risotto, you might also like:

Spanish Fish Stew with Potatoes

Creamy Smoked Salmon and Rocket Risotto

Easy Salmon Thai Green Curry

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