Mussel Risotto Recipe
A simple dish which allows the sweet salinity of the mussels to really shine, this is a classic risotto apart from one twist – the rice is Japanese short-grain rather than arborio or carnaroli. This completely transforms the texture of the risotto and shows how the flavour of the grains themselves can have an impact.
Ingredients
- 3kg mussels, scrubbed clean
- 300ml of dry white wine
- 100g of unsalted butter, chilled and diced
- extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 200g of Japanese short grain rice, (Patrick uses Niji no Kirameki variety)
- 600ml of light fish stock
- 40g of Parmesan, finely grated
- lemon juice, to taste
Method · 45 min
- Put a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mussels and 200ml of the white wine. Cover and leave to steam, shaking the pan regularly, until all the mussels open (discard any that don’t). Strain through a colander set over a bowl to collect the juices. Pick the mussel meat from the shells and reserve in the fridge
- Add 40g of the butter and a glug of olive oil to a wide, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook gently until soft but not coloured
- Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring regularly – wait for it to turn translucent. Add the remaining 100ml wine and allow to evaporate whilst warming the fish stock and collected mussel cooking liquid in a separate saucepan
- Begin adding the stock a ladle at a time while stirring the rice regularly and checking the seasoning. Wait for the stock to be fully absorbed before adding the next. Keep cooking until the rice is al dente (you may not need all the stock)
- Stir in the cooked mussels and heat through fully. Remove from the heat and beat in the remaining butter and parmesan vigorously. You should be left with a loose, glossy risotto with rice that retains a slight bite. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon
- Divide between 4 bowls and drizzle with olive oil to finish
