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and cook, stirring, until very little liquid is left in the pan. Ladle in 1 cup of the hot stock and add the salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep the rice at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, until almost all the liquid is gone. Ladle in ½ cup of the hot stock and continue in this way, ladling in ½ cup of stock each time most of the liquid has been absorbed. All together, counting from the first cup of stock, you’ll stir and cook for 18 to 25 minutes, but don’t go by the clock; taste the rice to decide when it’s done. It should be creamy, firm in the center, with no hint of crunch. Add the reserved sea urchin juice and half of the strained roe, stirring until mixed. Taste and add more strained roe if you like. Add the chives, the preserved lemon, and a few spoonfuls of water if the rice looks dry. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the risotto into the clean, dry shells and top each serving with a clump of roe before serving.

CHEF’S NOTE: At Bottega, we give this a dramatic presentation by making a bed of sea salt on the plate before placing the sea urchin.

The ABC’s of Risotto

Risotto is easy to make if you know what to look for at each stage of the game. First, keep more stock or broth at a low simmer than you think you’ll need; you don’t want to run out of hot liquid when the risotto is three-quarters done. If you add cool stock, the risotto will stop cooking and lose its creamy texture.

Almost every risotto begins with minced onion, cooked over medium heat until soft but not brown. Add the rice and stir the rice and onion together for about 1 minute. You’ll know the rice is ready for wine when it’s pearly white and the outer layer of most of the grains looks translucent.

At that point, pour in the wine and cook until the pan is almost dry. Reduce the heat so the rice stays at a low simmer. You don’t want to cook too rapidly, or the liquid will evaporate instead of being absorbed into the rice.

Season when you add the first cup of stock. If you wait until later, the rice will taste flat. When the first cup of stock is almost all absorbed, add another ½ cup of the hot stock. At this point, you’re in a Zen frame of mind, contentedly watching the rice, stirring, and adding another ½ cup of liquid as soon as most of the last liquid has been absorbed. From the time you add the first cup of stock to the last 1/2-cup addition should be 18 to 25 minutes. Don’t go by the clock, but by how the rice tastes to you; when done, the grains should be al dente—a slightly firm center with an overall creaminess. As soon as the rice is done, stir in any cheese or additions.

Chapter 6

Fish and Shellfish

Pesce Ed I Molluschi

My Italian ancestors were landlocked in the mountains of Calabria, so they ate only fish that could travel for three days. The Chiarellos/Aiellos would have walked a donkey down the mountain to the sea, caught their sardines and anchovies, salted them, and loaded them back on the donkey for the trip home.

Even though I was born in California, those traditions made their way through generations and flavored the fish that my family ate. We caught sardines and grass shrimp and had big fish only when someone went to Monterey and came back with a fresh catch. We went every year to Coos Bay, Oregon, where we met up with about fifty cousins to dig for clams, go crabbing, and can some albacore tuna (you can find that recipe, Tuna Conserva). Crab was a big deal every Christmas, but that was because we were within a day’s drive of San Francisco Bay.

The menu at Bottega shows a great respect for the big fish like salmon and swordfish, but it also reveals my fondness for the fish that Chiarellos have eaten for many generations. The brodetto, for example, is a fisherman’s stew, humble in origin and yet sultry and sexy with its accents of Spanish paprika and saffron. This is a signature dish that our regular guests order again and again.

Bottega has also become known for octopus with a recipe I created while cooking for the king of Thailand in Bangkok. I