Broiled Clams with Clam and White Wine Risotto

Serves: 4

Ingredients

White Wine Bacon Risotto:

  • ¼ lb (113 g) Bacon
  • 3 cups (24 oz) Bottled clam juice (can add more if rice needs it)
  • 3 cups (750ml) Water/stock (can add more if rice needs it)
  • 1 Onion, chopped
  • 3 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Salt, more if needed
  • 2 cups (500 ml) Arborio rice
  • 1 cup (250 ml) Dry white wine
  • 1/4 tsp (1 ml) Fresh-ground black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp (57g) Butter
  • 1 Lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup (35g) Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup (90ml) Chives, chopped
  • Salt to taste

Chive Butter:

  • ½ lb (113 g) Butter, softened
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) Chopped chives
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 Lemon, juice only
  • Broiled Clams with Chive Butter:
  • 1 cup (250 ml) Fresh clams in shell
  • ¼ cup Chive butter (see recipe below)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) Panko
  • ¼ cup White wine
  • ¼ cup Parmesan
  • Olive Oil, garnish
  • 1 Lemon, juice

Method

  1. Start your risotto. Cook bacon and reserve bacon fat. Once cool to the touch, chop into bite sized pieces
  2. Place clam juice and water to a saucepan and heat.
  3. Pour bacon fat into a sauté pan. Add onions, garlic, and a dash of salt to the pan. Mix in the Arborio rice. Cook 1 minute as rice starts to pop, add the white wine.
    Let wine cook down.
  4. Ladle in some warmed clam juice stock and add pepper. Stirring often, cook until the broth has been absorbed by the rice. Add another ladle full of stock and repeat until the rice is about 90% cooked and the majority (if not all) of the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Set off the heat and prepare clams.
  5. Prepare the chive butter. Prepare the chive butter by placing softened butter in a bowl. Add chives, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Stir all together.
  6. Preheat the broiler to high heat.
  7. Open clams with a shucker, run the knife under the clam to release it from the shell, but leave them still sitting in the basin.
  8. Lay clams on a baking sheet. Spoon chive butter onto each clam.
  9. Sprinkle panko onto clams, and drizzle a little white wine. Place baking sheet in broiler on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
  10. Move risotto pan back onto heat, and add butter, chopped bacon bits, lemon juice, grated parmesan, chives, and salt. Transfer the risotto to a bowl.
  11. Remove clams from shells and lay on top of risotto. Finish with some grated parmesan, olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.