Traditional risotto with clams

Simply beautiful and tasty risotto with clams is for the whole family and the perfectly simply recipe.

Clam risotto is a classic recipe for sea and is very common on the whole Adriatic coast, where clams have always been a fundamental ingredient of seafood cuisine.

For a large risotto you need to choose the best ingredients and a good stock. In this case a simple vegetable broth is perfect since the cooking water of the clams will do the rest by adding that tasty touch that will make the dish extra special.

You need patience to cook a your risotto with clams. It will take 20 – 30 minutes but the results will be exceptional!

Arborio rice is the preferred rice to use for risotto. However, any type of rice will work. The most important thing you need to do is be patient and keep stirring!

Risotto with clams – For 6 people

14 oz (400 grams) rice
1 cup dry white wine
8 1/2 cups (2 liters) vegetable stock
4 1/2 lb (2 kg) fresh clams
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 inch (2 cm) fresh ginger, peeled
1 bunch of Italian parsley
1 shallot
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
pepper

First clean the clams: Put the clams in a pot with plenty of salted water for 4 hours, changing the water at least once. Wash them under running water and remove those that are broken or open. Discard the water.
Put 6 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the crushed garlic, ginger and a handful of parsley for 4 minutes, on a low heat to avoid them coloring.
Add the clams and cook for 4 minutes, stirring well. Add the wine and cook until the clams open.
Sieve the cooking water to remove any residual sand then add it to the stock.
Next shell the clams. For this risotto it is essential that they out of the shell. It is more work but in the end we think you will agree that it is worth it.
Chop the shallot and let it saute in 1/2 of the oil, in a thick-bottomed saucepan.
After 4 minutes, add the rice to the pan and saute it for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring constantly until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the wine, stir into the rice and continue cooking until it has evaporated, then continue cooking the risotto by adding the rest of the liquid a cup at a time. Add more when each cup has been absorbed into the rice without it sticking to the bottom of the pan. The final result should have some liquid and should not be dry.
5 minutes from the end of cooking, when you have added all of the liquid, add in the clams, sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and a pinch of pepper.
Let the risotto stand for a few minutes, then serve your risotto with clams seasoned with a little oil.
Enjoy your meal!