Published by MommyCooking.org · Published September 30, 2026
Leeks melt into the rice while peas and dill remain late additions for color.
The fish is the fragile part of this. It sears for color, waits on a plate, and returns to the rice only for the last few minutes, covered, until it flakes at 145°F (63°C).
🐟 The promise: Cod reaches 145°F (63°C), rice is creamy with a slight bite, and peas remain green.
🐟 Everything you need, all in one look🧂 Ingredient notes & easy swaps
Halibut can replace cod in equal-thickness portions; sear it briefly, then finish it gently in the risotto to 145°F (63°C).
“Warm the broth” starts Cod Leek Pea Risotto in the wide sauté pan and saucepan: keep the broth at a bare simmer in a separate saucepan; keep the measured wine beside the risotto pan. During “Finish cod, lemon, and dill,” nestle cod into the risotto and cook gently to 145°F (63°C); remove from heat and fold in Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and remaining salt.
“Finish cod, lemon, and dill” closes Cod Leek Pea Risotto: nestle cod into the risotto and cook gently to 145°F (63°C); remove from heat and fold in Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and remaining salt; keep the lemon for this step so Cod Leek Pea Risotto reaches the table with its fresh aroma and texture intact.
🍳 What you actually need (equipment)
wide sauté pan and saucepan.
Keep 5 cups (1.2 L) low-sodium fish or chicken broth at a bare simmer in a saucepan and stand ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine beside the risotto pan. Cold broth stalls the rice every single time it goes in.
Hold the broth simmering
Pat 1½ lb (680 g) cod fillets dry, cut into 4 portions, and season with half the 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt and ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper. Sear in 1 tbsp of the 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, 2 minutes a side, then set the underdone fish aside.
Sear and hold the cod
Add the remaining oil and 2 cleaned sliced leeks (260 g) to the wide sauté pan and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until they soften without taking on color. Fold through 2 minced garlic cloves (10 g) and cook 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
Soften the sliced leeks
Tip in 1½ cups (300 g) Arborio rice and stir 2 minutes, until every grain is coated and hot to the touch. Pour in the wine and keep stirring until the pan is almost dry and the sharp alcohol smell has faded.
Toast rice and add wine
Add the hot broth one ladle at a time, stirring until each addition disappears. After about 17 minutes, tip in 1 cup (145 g) frozen peas and carry on until the rice is creamy with a slight bite.
Ladle broth and add peas
Nestle the cod into the risotto, cover, and cook gently until it flakes and registers 145°F (63°C). Off the heat, fold in ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan, the zest and juice of 1 lemon (120 g), 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped dill, and the last of the salt.
Finish fish with lemon
✅ How to know it's done
The rice is creamy but still has bite, the peas stay bright green, and the cod breaks into large white flakes. After “Warm the broth,” if Arborio rice remains firm, add hot liquid in small amounts; if the sauce is thin, move cod fillets to a clean plate and reduce it.
💡 Practical tips (and what not to do)
Hold the broth at a bare simmer. A cold ladleful drops the rice temperature and the grains stop shedding the starch that makes this creamy.
Sear the cod deliberately underdone. Two minutes a side is color only, and it finishes in the rice where a fully cooked sear would go dry.
Soften the leeks without color. Browned leeks taste of onion, while pale melting ones disappear into the rice the way this dish needs.
Peas go in around the seventeen-minute mark. Added with the first ladle they lose their color entirely and turn khaki.
Wash the leeks after slicing. Grit hides between the layers, and swirling the slices in a bowl of water lets it sink to the bottom.
Budget: Frozen cod loins, thawed and patted very dry, cost less than fresh and sear acceptably. Lighter: Halve the Parmesan and finish with an extra tablespoon of lemon juice instead. Kids: Leave the dill out and stir in chopped parsley, which is milder. Extra flavor: Drop the pared lemon zest into the broth as it warms and add a pinch of saffron with the wine.
💛✨ Flavor boost
Add dill with lemon after the risotto leaves the heat so the herb remains fresh against the cod.
🥔 What Goes Well With It
Watercress or chicory dressed sharply, to cut the Parmesan.
Blistered cherry tomatoes in olive oil, spooned alongside.
A wedge of lemon on each plate for anyone who wants more.
📦 Storage & Freezer Notes
Risotto is meant to be eaten straight away, but leftovers keep two days covered; the fish limits that window more than the rice does.
Warm it in a pan with ¼ cup (60 ml) of broth per portion until the center reaches 165°F (74°C), breaking the cod into flakes as it goes.
Do not freeze it: Arborio turns mealy and cod flakes fall apart completely on thawing.
Before “Warm the broth” for Cod Leek Pea Risotto, prepare leeks and peas one day ahead; keep cod fillets sealed separately until cooking. After handling the raw fish, wash the board, knife, hands, and counter before touching the lemon used in “Finish cod, lemon, and dill.”
At “Finish cod, lemon, and dill,” Cod Leek Pea Risotto is ready when cod reaches 145°F (63°C), rice is creamy with a slight bite, and peas remain green. Portion Cod Leek Pea Risotto onto clean plates with sliced tomatoes with herbs.
🧒 Serving Ideas for Kids
Flake the cod off the fillet and check it for bones before it reaches a bowl.
Pile the peas on top so they can be eaten first or pushed aside.
Hold the lemon juice back from one portion and stir it in only if it is wanted.
❓ Quick answers
Can I make it without wine?
Yes. Use an extra ½ cup (120 ml) of broth at that stage plus a teaspoon of lemon juice to replace the acidity.
Do I have to stir constantly?
Frequently rather than constantly. Stirring rubs starch off the grains, and rice left alone for five minutes at a time turns out soupy instead of creamy.
The rice went soft before the broth ran out.
Then stop adding liquid. The 5 cups (1.2 L) is a guide that depends on your pan width and heat, so judge by bite and not by volume.
What other fish suits this?
Halibut, haddock or pollock in similar thickness, each finished gently in the rice to 145°F (63°C).
🥗 Nutrition, roughly: about 620 calories per serving. Estimates only; brands, cuts and portion sizes change the numbers.
Published by MommyCooking.org. This AI-assisted recipe passed automated checks for page consistency and required image files. A real-kitchen test has not been documented for this dish. The food images are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of a cooking session. Cooking temperatures should be checked with a food thermometer; nutrition figures are estimates. How we make recipes · Report a problem with this recipe
