This easy smoked haddock risotto is creamy, comforting and packed with flavour. Smoked haddock is gently poached in milk, then the smoky poaching liquid is stirred into the risotto with sweet leeks and peas. It's an easy fish dinner made with simple ingredients and ready in around 45 minutes.
Smoked haddock, leek and peas are a lovely combination. The haddock brings a rich smoky flavour, while the leeks add sweetness and the peas freshness. Using the poaching milk in the risotto also means you get a nice creamy texture without needing to add cream.
If you enjoy smoked haddock with rice, try my Kedgeree recipe next.
Quick look
- Taste: creamy, smoky, fresh
- Difficulty: easy
- Time: around 45 minutes
- Main ingredients: smoked haddock, risotto rice, leek, peas
- Perfect for: easy family dinner / autumn and winter comfort food
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Why you'll love this smoked haddock risotto
- Easy enough for a weeknight
- Good way to eat more fish
- Uses everyday ingredients
- Creamy texture
Ingredients
- Smoked haddock: dyed or undyed. I'd recommend undyed if available. Fresh haddock is best but you can also poach the haddock from frozen.
- Risotto rice: You need to use a special risotto rice, called Arborio rice or Carnaroli. Other types of rice won't work.
- Leek: gives a natural sweetness and works particularly well with smoked haddock.
- Peas: you can use frozen peas / petit pois. There is no need to defrost them first.
- Milk: Use your normal cow's milk. If you want this smoked haddock risotto to be dairy-free, simply poach the fish in water instead. The milk will become infused with the flavour of the smoked haddock.
- Stock: I use a vegetable stock here as fish stock can be too overpowering with the strong flavour of the smoked haddock. If not using milk, you will need to double the quantity of stock. Your risotto will be less creamy.
- Lemon: this cuts through the creamy/smoky richness.
- Parsley: fresh parsley leaves, to serve, optional.
How to make smoked haddock risotto
Poach
Put the smoked haddock in a wide saucepan and pour over the milk. Bring gently to a simmer, then turn the heat down and poach for around 5 minutes, until the fish is just cooked and flakes easily. Lift the haddock onto a plate and reserve the poaching milk.
Leeks
Melt the butter in the pan over a medium to low heat and fry the leeks for 3-4 minutes until soft but not browned, stirring occasionally.
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Rice
Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so the grains are coated in the butter.
Milk
Add the hot stock to the milk, then add a ladleful to the rice. Stir regularly until most of the liquid has been absorbed, then add another ladelful. Continue adding the liquid and stirring for around 18-20 minutes, until the rice is creamy but still has a little bite.
Peas
Stir in the frozen peas for the final 3-4 minutes of cooking.
Haddock
Take the pan off the heat. Remove the skin and break the fish into large flakes. Gently fold through the smoked haddock, finely grated zest of half the lemon and the lemon juice. Season with black pepper.
Rest
Leave to rest for a minute, then check the consistency. A good risotto should be loose enough to spread slightly when spooned onto a plate. Add a splash more hot stock or milk if necessary.
Serve
Taste before adding any salt. Serve with the remaining lemon zest over the top and the fresh parsley.
How to get a nice creamy risotto
- Use risotto rice and don't rinse it first. We need to preserve the starchiness of the rice.
- Keep your liquid hot
- Stir your risotto regularly to help release the starch from the rice, but you don't need to stir it constantly for 20 minutes.
- Stop cooking when the risotto is loose and creamy rather than waiting until it looks dry.
Variations
- Stir through spinach leaves at the end or sprinkle rocket leaves over the top before serving.
- Swap the leek for spring onions (scallions) or a brown onion.
- Other fish. Use smoked cod or smoked pollock.
Sustainability
Buying sustainably sourced fish helps protect fish stocks and reduce damage to the wider marine environment. Look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo when buying smoked haddock.
Storage and reheating
A risotto is best eaten immediately.
If you have leftovers, cool them as quickly as possible, ideally within one hour, then cover and store in the fridge. Eat within 24 hours.
The rice will continue to absorb moisture, so add a little extra hot stock or water when reheating to loosen it. Reheat only once, either gently on the stove or in the microwave, until steaming hot throughout.
FAQs
Yes you can use frozen smoked haddock but you need to increase the poaching time to around 10-12 minutes.
Yes. You don't need white wine to make this smoked haddock risotto. Many recipes add a small amount of white wine before the stock, but in this recipe lemon juice provides the acidity needed to balance the creamy rice.
Yes, you can add Parmesan cheese. Stir a little through the risotto before serving. I don't include it in this recipe because the poaching milk already gives the risotto a creamy texture and smoked haddock has plenty of savoury, salty flavour. If you do add Parmesan, add a little at a time and taste before adding any extra salt.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Haddock Risotto
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Ingredients
- 350 g smoked haddock undyed fillets, bones removed, MSC certified
- 500 ml milk used to cook haddock
- 20 g butter
- 1 leek diced
- 350 g arborio rice or carnaroli
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- 140 g frozen peas organic, thawed
- 1 lemons juice and zest
- 1 dash black pepper
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley optional, to serve
Instructions
- Put the smoked haddock in a wide saucepan and pour over the milk. Bring gently to a simmer, then turn the heat down and poach for around 5 minutes, until the fish is just cooked and flakes easily. Lift the haddock onto a plate and reserve the poaching milk. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and break the fish into large flakes.350 g smoked haddock, 500 ml milk
- Melt the butter in the pan over a medium to low heat and fry the leeks for 3-4 minutes until soft but not browned, stirring occasionally.20 g butter, 1 leek
- Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so the grains are coated in the butter.350 g arborio rice
- Add the hot stock to the milk, then add a ladleful to the rice. Stir regularly until most of the liquid has been absorbed, then add another ladelful. Continue adding the liquid and stirring for around 18-20 minutes, until the rice is creamy but still has a little bite.500 ml vegetable stock
- Stir in the frozen peas for the final 3-4 minutes of cooking.140 g frozen peas
- Take the pan off the heat. Gently fold through the smoked haddock, finely grated zest of half the lemon and the lemon juice. Season with black pepper.1 lemons
- Leave to rest for a minute, then check the consistency. A good risotto should be loose enough to spread slightly when spooned onto a plate. Add a splash more hot stock or milk if necessary.
- Taste before adding any salt. Serve with the remaining lemon zest over the top and the fresh parsley and a dash of black pepper.3 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 dash black pepper
Notes
Ingredient Notes
-
- Smoked haddock: dyed or undyed. I'd recommend undyed if available. Fresh haddock is best but you can also poach the haddock from frozen.
- Risotto rice: You need to use a special risotto rice, called Arborio rice or Carnaroli. Other types of rice won't work.
- Leek: gives a natural sweetness and works particularly well with smoked haddock.
- Peas: you can use frozen peas / petit pois. There is no need to defrost them first.
- Milk: Use your normal cow's milk. If you want this smoked haddock risotto to be dairy-free, simply poach the fish in water instead. The milk will become infused with the flavour of the smoked haddock.
- Stock: I use a vegetable stock here as fish stock can be too overpowering with the strong flavour of the smoked haddock. If not using milk, you will need to double the quantity of stock. Your risotto will be less creamy.
- Lemon: this cuts through the creamy/smoky richness.
- Parsley: fresh parsley leaves, to serve, optional.
-
How to get your risotto creamy
-
- Use risotto rice and don't rinse it first. We need to preserve the starchiness of the rice.
- Keep your liquid hot
- Stir your risotto regularly to help release the starch from the rice, but you don't need to stir it constantly for 20 minutes.
- Stop cooking when the risotto is loose and creamy rather than waiting until it looks dry.
Storage & Reheating
A risotto is best eaten immediately. If you have leftovers, cool them as quickly as possible, ideally within one hour, then cover and store in the fridge. Eat within 24 hours. The rice will continue to absorb moisture, so add a little extra hot stock or water when reheating to loosen it. Reheat only once, either gently on the stove or in the microwave, until steaming hot throughout.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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