We had a 'throw-away' meal that turned out to be WOW!

[Stinky The Clown]

Last night we weren't sure what we wanted. I wanted something 'rib stickin' to ward off the damp, rainy weather this week here on the east coast. Sparkly was kinda feelin' the same way, but didn't feel like cooking, so she left it up to me.

I decided on a risotto entree. One pot. No fuss, just a lotta stirring. After I thought of what to make and did the mise en place, Sparkly was gettin' all excited about it.

We made and posted a similar item, here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=4861

But this one was different .... and as it happened, we think it was even better.

Risotto con vongole e pomodoro

The method described in the linked post is good for this one, too. Risotto, at its essence, is just .... well .... risotto.

1 28 oz can of San Marzano (or other quality plum) tomatoes

Open the can and crush the tomatoes by hand. Separate the juice from the solids and put the juice in a measuring cup. Add clam broth to bring the total volume of liquid up to 6 cups. You can also add some wine to this. When you have the 6 cups, fortify the flavor with 2 tablespoons of chicken base. You could also use vegetable base or, if you're lucky and can get it, shrimp or lobster base.

2 10 oz cans of chopped clams. If you can get chowder clams (bigger chunks) use them. Bigger is better. (The broth from these is used to help make up the 6 cups of liquid, above.)

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup of dry white wine

2 cups of Arborio or Carnaroli rice

Two parts fresh parsley and basil, and one part oregano to make about 1/2 cup of chopped herbs.

Olive oil

Heat the 6 cups of clam/tomato broth and hold at a slow simmer.

Heat the olive oil in a separate large, heavy pot. Add the onion and garlic and sweat until transparent (maybe 3 or 4 minutes).

Add the rice and saute it, coating each grain with the olive oil. When the rice is transparent, with a white dot clearly visible in the center, add the wine. Stir until the wine is fully absorbed.

Add the broth to the rice, one ladleful at a time. Stir after each addition, until the liquid is all absorbed. Repeat until all but one ladleful of the broth has been added.

Add the clams, the tomato solids, and the herbs.

Continue stirring until the rice is al dente. Test the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. (We didn't have to add any salt, as the soup base and clam broth was salty enough for us.)

Add the last of the liquid and two tablespoons of butter. Stir until the butter is melted and mixed.

Serve.

This one was a keeper! The tomatoes make the whole thing waaaaaaay different from the recipe I linked, above. Much as I like that linked one, this one is better.

If you try this, let me know what you thought of it.

Probable tablecloth restaurant menu value: $12 - $15. This recipe yields at least 6 servings for average folks and three for us (one for Sparkly and the rest for me.

[NMDemDist2]

1. can I substitute broth for white wine?

since I'm so long sober I never have wine around and never look for an excuse to buy it x(

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Yes, you can. Here's a little factoid about risotoo ......

The rice picks up the flavor of the first added liquid. In this case, that could be either the clam broth or the tomato liquid. I think I'd use the clam broth.

The total liquid, however, remains at 7 cups, with one cup added at the start, and the remaining 6 cups added a small amount at a time. The recipe says a ladleful. In our case, I'd guess that at 1/3 to 1/2 cup.