Clam Risotto with Bacon and Chives

Name: Clam Risotto with Bacon and Chives
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 473 milliliters arborio rice; 113 grams bacon, slices cut crosswise into thin strips; 710 milliliters bottled clam juice; 237 milliliters drained chopped clams; 237 milliliters dry white wine; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 0 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper; 4 Tbsps olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 0 teaspoons salt, more if needed; 3 Tbsps chopped fresh chives or scallion tops; 710 milliliters water, more if needed

You can never have too many Mediterranean recipes, so give Clam Risotto with Bacon and Chives a try. This recipe serves 4. This recipe covers 20% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This main course has 732 calories, 13g of protein, and 26g of fat per serving. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet. A mixture of arborio rice, onion, fresh-ground pepper, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful. To use up the arborio rice you could follow this main course with the Chocolate Rice Pudding as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 45 minutes.

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring the clam juice and water to a simmer.

Ingredients you will need

Clam Juice

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Pot

Remove the bacon from the pot and pour off all the fat. In the same pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat.

Ingredients you will need

Bacon

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Garlic

Onion

Add the rice to the pot and stir until it begins to turn opaque, about 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Rice

Equipment you will use

Pot

Add the wine and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until all the wine has been absorbed.

Ingredients you will need

Salt

Wine

Add the bacon and about 1/2 cup of the simmering clam juice to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has been completely absorbed. The rice and liquid should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed. Continue cooking the rice, adding clam juice 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding the next 1/2 cup. Cook the rice in this way until tender, 25 to 30 minutes in all. The liquid that hasn't been absorbed should be thickened by the starch from the rice. You may not need to use all of the clam juice, or you may need to add some water.

Ingredients you will need

Clam Juice

Starch

Bacon

Water

Rice

Stir in the chives, pepper, and clams. Cook, stirring, until the clams are just done, about 1 minute. Taste for salt and add more salt if needed.

Ingredients you will need

Chives

Pepper

Clams

Salt

Wine Recommendation: To make this risotto sing, serve it with a nicely acidic, herbal Verdicchio di Matelica or Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi.

Ingredients you will need

Verdicchio

Wine

Equipment

Sauce Pan

Pot

Ingredients

Servings:

473milliliters

arborio rice 113grams

bacon, slices cut crosswise into thin strips 710milliliters

bottled clam juice 237milliliters

drained chopped clams 237milliliters

dry white wine 3cloves

garlic, minced 0teaspoons

fresh-ground black pepper 4Tbsps

olive oil 1

onion, chopped 0teaspoons

salt, more if needed 3Tbsps

chopped fresh chives or scallion tops 710milliliters

water, more if needed

Recommended wine: Chardonnay, Muscadet, Riesling

Clams works really well with Chardonnay, Muscadet, and Riesling. Buttery chardonnay is great for scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster, while muscadet is a classic pick for mussels, oysters, and clams. If you've got some spice in your shellfish, a semi-dry riesling can balance out the heat. The GEN5 Chardonnay with a 4.3 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 9 dollars per bottle.