Spring Pea Risotto with Halibut & Spanish Chorizo

Cut Halibut (1 lb) into four 4 oz portions.

Place in roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Generously drizzle with Olive Oil (2 Tbsp). Make to coat both sides well.

Sprinkle with Salt (to taste), Ground Black Pepper (to taste), and zest of Lemon (1). Set aside or marinate over night in the fridge.

Blanch Green Peas (2 cups) in 1 quart boiling salted water with 1 tablespoon salt for 2 minutes. They should float. Strain and immediately immerse in cold water to stop them from over cooking and loosing their color. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom pot, saute the Leeks (2 1/2 cups) and Butter (1 Tbsp) over medium heat until tender, about 7 minutes.

Turn heat to low and add Arborio Rice (1 cup) and optional Spanish Chorizo (4 Tbsp). Stir about 1 minute. If you leave out the chorizo, make sure to salt the risotto.

Add White Wine (1/2 cup). Let simmer on low until the wine has been absorbed.

Add a cup of hot Chicken Stock (4 cups) and stir periodically, adding a cup at a time, until each cup is absorbed ( about 25-30 minutes).

Repeat this process until rice is tender but slightly firm (about 20-30 minutes) and mixture is loose.

While risotto is cooking, make pea puree. Place 1 cup of the blanched peas, Fresh Mint (4 Tbsp), Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley (4 Tbsp), a squeeze of Lemon (1), and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor and blend till smooth, scrapping down sides a couple times. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

When you are about to add your last cup of stock to the risotto, place the fish in the hot oven, and bake 6-8 minutes, depending on how thick of a cut you have.

When risotto is tender, or cooked to your liking, stir in the Pecorino Romano Cheese (1/3 cup), lemon zest, and remaining 1 cup whole blanched peas.

Turn heat off. Gently fold in pea puree. Adjust salt. Divide risotto among plates, top with the fish, garnish with optional pea shoots, a drizzle of truffle oil, lemon zest and/or mint.