Saffron Risotto with Mussels and Bottarga
- 6 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 cups carnaroli superfino or arborio rice (12 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt
- 1 ounce bottarga, thinly sliced (optional; see Note)
- In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of the fish stock to a simmer.
- Transfer to a measuring cup and crumble in the saffron.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.
- Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mussels, cover and cook until they start to open, about 4 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of the wine and simmer over moderate heat until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add the saffron-infused fish stock and the parsley and simmer for 3 minutes; discard any mussels that don't open.
- Transfer 16 mussels to a bowl.
- Remove the remaining mussels from their shells and put them in another bowl with their cooking liquid.
- Bring the remaining 5 1/2 cups of fish stock to a simmer over low heat.
- In a large saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring, until thoroughly coated with oil, about 3 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine to the rice and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add enough hot stock to the saucepan to just cover the rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the stock has been absorbed.
- Repeat with the remaining stock, adding just enough each time to cover the rice and stirring until it has been absorbed before adding more.
- The rice is done when it's just tender and bound with a creamy sauce, about 20 minutes total.
- Stir in the butter and the shelled mussels and their cooking liquid.
- Season with salt.
- Divide the rice among 4 bowls and top each with a few of the mussels in their shells and the bottarga.
- Serve right away.
fish stock, threads, extravirgin olive oil, garlic, mussels, white wine, parsley, shallot, carnaroli superfino, unsalted butter, salt, bottarga
Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/saffron-risotto-with-mussels-and-bottarga (may not work)