You can do this! Perfect to make for Valentine's day, a date night, a special dinner for a special friend, or halved and made for a party of one, this dish is bound to impress. While there may be a good number of steps, the good news is you can make the majority of this recipe in advance. Ideal for perpetuating the illusion of kitchen wizardry when you throw everything together the day of in a matter of minutes.

Years ago, when I made risotto for the first time, I was so intimidated. I have no idea why. Just brace yourself with a little patience to do a lot of stirring, and there will be no reason to get all in a dither about rice. Risotto is a basic that's going to become a quick-to-make staple with limitless options once you've made it and understand the simple steps. But in the interest of not being chained to the stove for 30 minutes while you're trying to entertain, our recipe for make-ahead risotto by par cooking it is ideal.

In this version, as served at selected Nordstrom restaurants, our risotto gets a flavorful dose of fresh herbs. Surrounding it, a luscious, velvety Rosemary Beurre Blanc enhanced with roasted garlic (try our easiest roasted garlic recipe, which I make all the time and keep in the freezer). On top, an earthy mix of mushrooms roasted with fresh herbs sits askew underneath an easy baked Atlantic salmon fillet. To gild the lily, everything is crowned by a vibrant garnish of celery curls, chive batons and parsley.

Roasted Salmon and Herbed Mushroom Risotto
From Nordstrom Bistro, Grill and Bazille
(Serves 2)

Par-Cooked Risotto
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced 1/4 inch
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Carnaroli (or Arborio) rice
1/3 cup dry white wine

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat chicken stock over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Reduce heat to low.

Over medium heat, add olive oil to a large skillet or saucepan, and heat until shimmering. Add diced onions and kosher salt and sauté until translucent, but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add rice and stir, coating each grain of rice with oil, and allow the rice to toast slightly, about 2 minutes.

Add wine to the rice to deglaze the pan and stir gently until wine is evaporated. Add about one third of the warm chicken stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently stir the simmering rice until all the stock is absorbed. Pour half of the remaining chicken stock and continue gently stirring until the stock is again absorbed.

The rice should be nearly fully cooked with and al dente texture and just a small speck of the interior still opaque. Pour in the remaining stock and stir gently enduring that the par-cooked risotto has a creamy but somewhat fluid viscosity that isn't too dry.

Immediately remove the pan from heat and transfer risotto onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading with a spatula until the grains cover the entire surface of the sheet in a single layer. When cool, transfer risotto to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Herbed Roasted Mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounce mix of crimini, shiitake (sliced 1/4-inch thick) and oyster mushrooms (torn into 1/2-inch pieces)

Preheat oven to 500°F with a rimmed baking sheet inside.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, kosher salt and ground pepper and mix. Add the mushroom mix to the herbed olive oil and toss to evenly coat.

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and carefully arrange the mushrooms in a single layer. Return sheet pan with mushrooms to the oven and roast for 7 minutes. Rotate the pan, turn the mushrooms over and continue roasting until the mushrooms are tender and tops and bottoms are golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Set the mushrooms aside to cool. When cool, cut each from cap through stem in 1/4 inch-thick slices and set aside. Transfer roasted mushrooms to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Celery and Parsley Garnish
2 celery stalks
6 Italian parsley leaves
6 celery leaves, picked small
Small bunch chives, cut into 1-inch batons

Fill a medium-size bowl with ice and water. With a sharp vegetable peeler, peel the outer stringy layer of the celery from the stalks and discard. Continue to shave the inner membrane of the celery, cutting strips approximately 6 inches long. Place the celery strips in the ice water to cool and crisp. Transfer to refrigerator and store for up to 36 hours.

Rosemary Beurre Blanc
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups dry white wine
3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
1 bay leaf
4 black peppercorns
1/2 cup (1 stick) ice-cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon roasted garlic ( recipe)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the Rosemary Beurre Blanc, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shallots, wine, cream, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 15 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the pan, place over low heat and gradually stir in (mount) the cold butter, adding only a couple of cubes at a time while stirring constantly. When all of the butter is incorporated, add the rosemary and roasted garlic and season with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce from breaking (butter separating from the sauce) by keeping it warm, by placing it in a low-heat double broiler, bain marie, or otherwise warm place with indirect heat. The Rosemary Beurre Blanc can be kept warm in this manner for up to 2 hours while you prepare the salmon and finish the risotto.

Baked Salmon & Final Assembly
2 6-ounce Atlantic salmon filets, bones and skin removed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Herbed Roasted Mushrooms
Par-Cooked Risotto
2/3 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced
Rosemary Beurre Blanc
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To finish
Lemon wedges
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F. Season both sides of the filets with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a medium oven-safe skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon filets skinned-side-up for 30 seconds and place skillet in oven to roast for 3 minutes. With a fish spatula, turn filets over and add herbed mushrooms to skillet and continue to roast for an additional three minutes until done (barely opaque when flaked with the tip of a knife).

While the salmon roasts, heat the risotto with chicken stock in a saucepan and stir until simmering. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter until the risotto is thick but creamy in texture. Add the minced rosemary, parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice from one of the wedges. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

To serve, divide and spoon risotto down the middle of each plate. Drizzle a generous spoonful of Rosemary Beurre Blanc around the risotto. Scatter mushrooms diagonally across the risotto and place a filet of salmon on top in line with the risotto. Arrange celery and parsley garnish on top of each salmon filet and drizzle just a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice over the garnish.

Try these recipes and others at a Nordstrom restaurant near you, and find more recipes to make at home in our What's Cooking series and Nordstrom Cookbooks (available in selected Nordstrom restaurants and Ebars). Have a favorite dish or beverage from our restaurants or cookbooks that you'd like to see featured? Let us know in the comments!

-Jeff Powell