Chef-Level Cod & Risotto for One | Learned in Italian Culinary School 🇮🇹(recipe in description)

I learned how to make a proper risotto in Italian culinary school — and this is the technique.

Pan seared cod with a quick butter caper sauce, and a simple, creamy Parmigiano Reggiano risotto made the right way:

CLASSIC RISOTTO (1 serving):
80g Arborio rice
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 small, parsley stems (optional)
1 garlic clove (peeled and smashed)
1 tbsp finely minced yellow onion (optional)
Dry white wine (optional)
150mL hot beef or chicken broth 
25g butter
10g freshly grated. parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
Prep all of your ingredients so they are ready to go.

If using the parsley and garlic, peel & smash the garlic and set aside. Separate the stems from the leaves and finally mince the leaves and set them aside.

In a small, sauce pan, add parsley stems and one, smashed and peeled garlic clove. Saute for roughly 1 min just to release the aromas and then remove.

Add the rice and toast for about a minute or less. If adding the final chopped onion, added it to the rice and cook until it becomes translucent. If adding new wine, add a generous splash and deglaze. Add the hot broth and four equal parts cooking down the broth after each addition, stirring or swirling the pan from time to time, but not too frequent. After the fourth edition has cooked down, remove from the heat add the butter, Parmesan and seasoned with salt and black pepper, creaming it very well and quickly to create a beautiful emulsion.

PAN-SEARED COD RECIPE (for 1):
4-6oz cod filet
Fine sea salt
1 tbsp all-purpose flour or arrowroot powder
Neutral oil like avocado oil

Pat cod completely dry. Season both sides with just salt. Lightly coat both sides with all purpose flour or arrowroot powder. We are not trying to bread the fish so this should be light.

Heat a drizzle of neutral oil over medium heat, being careful not to add too much. Place the cod down and press down gently with a spatula for about 30sec. Cook for roughly 4–5 minutes, first side. Flip and cook approx. 2–3 minutes on the second side.

Remove at 133-135°F internal temp. Let rest for roughly 5-10min — it will carry over to about 135–140°F as the serving temp.

The fish should be fully opaque and flake easily, but still moist — not dry.

CAPER PAN SAUCE:
Tablespoon of butter
White white (optional)
Broth of choice
Apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp capers
Lemon wedge

In the same pan…

Add butter, then deglaze with a splash of broth of choice + optional white wine. Cook on low heat, scraping down the pan well to release the fond. Add about a tablespoon of capers +
optional light splash of apple cider vinegar and
optional, one more small knob of butter to finish and round it out.

If adding a vegetable, asparagus goes beautifully with this dish. Frozen cooks the quickest and you can cook in the same pan as the sauce and cod after they are done in just a few minutes on medium heat.

Plate the risotto, cod and veg. Spoon sauce over cod. Finish with squeeze of fresh lemon and the finely minced parsley leaves to garnish.

**Adjust the recipes as necessary for more servings.