Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [121]
Risotto with Clams
For 6 servings
3 dozen littleneck clams, the smallest you can find
1 tablespoon onion chopped fine
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 cups Arborio or other imported Italian risotto rice
⅓ cup dry white wine
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Wash and scrub the clams. Discard those that stay open when handled. Put them in a pan broad enough so that the clams don’t need to be piled up more than 3 deep, cover the pan, and turn on the heat to high. Check the clams frequently, turning them over, and removing them from the pan as they open their shells.
2. When all the clams have opened up, detach their meat from the shells and, unless they are exceptionally small, cut them up in 2 or even 3 pieces. Put the clam meat in a bowl and cover with its own juices from the pan. To be sure, as you are doing this, that any sand is left behind, tip the pan and gently spoon up the liquid from the top.
3. Let the clams rest for 20 or 30 minutes, so that they may shed any sand still clinging to their meat, then retrieve them gently with a slotted spoon. Set them aside in a small bowl. Line a strainer with paper towels, and filter the clam juices through the paper into a separate bowl.
4. Bring 5 cups of water to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner near where you’ll be cooking the risotto.
5. Put the chopped onion and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a broad, sturdy pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes translucent, then add the garlic. When it becomes colored a pale gold, add 1 tablespoon of the parsley, stir, then add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly for 15 or 20 seconds, until the grains are coated well.
6. Add the wine, and cook the rice following the directions in Steps 3 and 4 of the basic white risotto recipe. When all the wine is gone, add the filtered clam juices, and when these have evaporated, continue with the water you have kept simmering, adding a ½ cup of it at a time when needed. At any point, while the rice is cooking, add chopped hot chili pepper, salt, and a few grindings of black pepper.
7. Cook the rice until it is tender, but firm to the bite, with barely enough liquid remaining to make the consistency somewhat runny. Add the clams, the remaining tablespoon of parsley, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mixing them thoroughly with the risotto. Transfer to a platter, and serve promptly.
Ahead-of-time note The steps above may be completed 2 or 3 hours in advance. When doing so, spoon some of the filtered juice over the clam meat to keep it moist.
Risotto with Beef, Rosemary, Sage, and Barolo Wine, Alba Style
For 6 servings
5 cups Basic Homemade Meat Broth, OR 1 cup canned beef broth diluted with 4 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons pancetta chopped very fine
1½ teaspoons garlic chopped very fine
Chopped rosemary leaves, 1½ teaspoons if fresh, ¾ teaspoon if dried
Chopped sage leaves, 2 teaspoons if fresh, 1 teaspoon if dried
¼ pound ground beef chuck
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1⅓ cups Barolo wine (see note below)
2 cups Arborio or other imported Italian risotto rice
⅓ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus additional cheese at the table
1. Bring the broth to a very slow, steady simmer on a burner near where you’ll be cooking the risotto.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of butter, the pancetta, and the garlic in a broad, sturdy pot, turn on the heat to medium high, and stir from time to time as you cook. When the garlic becomes colored a very pale gold, add the rosemary and sage, cook, and stir for a few seconds, then add the ground meat. Crumble the meat with a fork, and turn it over several times to brown and coat it well, adding salt and a generous grinding of pepper.
3. When the meat has been well browned, add 1 cup of the red wine. Cook at a simmer, letting the wine bubble away until it becomes reduced to