Dinner tonight: littleneck clams risotto

Good risotto requires stirring, so you might as well make it worth it by adding rich flavours. Seafood risottos tend to be on the mild side. Take them to the wild with Italian sausage for meatiness and heavy cream for a velvety finish.

Preparation time 15 minutes 

Cooking time 45 minutes 

Serves 4

• 500 ml (2 c) water
• 3 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 3 bottles (225 g/8 oz each) clam juice
• 225 g (8 oz) bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 250 ml (1 c) finely chopped onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 250 ml (1 c) arborio rice
• 50 ml (1/4 c) dry vermouth
• 50 ml (1/4 c) heavy cream
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the clams. Cover and cook until the clams open, five to seven minutes — be sure to remove clams as they open as some will cook faster than others. Reserve 350 millilitres (1 1/2 cups) of the cooking liquid. Let the clams cool for five minutes, then remove them from the shells. Discard any clams that don't open.
2. Combine the clam juice with the reserved cooking liquid in a medium pot over medium-low heat.
3. Wipe out the pot used to cook the clams and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, three to four minutes.
4. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until they start to turn lightly golden, eight to 10 minutes. Add the rice and cook for two minutes.
5. Pour in the vermouth and cook, stirring often, until absorbed, about 45 seconds. Ladle in 250 millilitres (one cup) of the warm clam broth mixture and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the clam juice mixture, 125 millilitres (1/2 cups) at a time, until the rice is tender but still slightly firm in the centre and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Add the clams and cook until hot, one minute. Add the cream and cook one minute longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve immediately.

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