Risotto with clams, lemon and thyme

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Antonino Cannavacciuolo gives his luxurious seafood risotto a delightfully light texture using carnaroli risotto rice and infuses it with a homemade clam stock for an added depth of flavour. Adorned with a zingy lemon sauce and lime jelly, this pescatarian starter is fresh and delicate on the palate.

First published in 2016
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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Clams

  • 300g of clams
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 sprig of parsley, chopped
  • sea water, purified

Lime jelly

  • 225g of water
  • 75g of lime juice
  • 5 limes, zest
  • 22.5g of gellan gum

Lemon sauce

  • 5 lemons, juiced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 350ml of sunflower oil

Risotto

  • 300g of carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 400g of fish stock
  • 10g of butter
  • 10g of thyme leaves
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • black pepper

To serve

Equipment

  • 3cm diameter cutter

Method

1
To begin, place the clams in purified sea water and leave to soak overnight
  • 300g of clams
  • sea water, purified
2
To make the lime jelly, start by lining a baking tray with cling film
3
Bring the water, lime juice and gellan gum to the boil. Add the lime zest and boil for 30 seconds
  • 225g of water
  • 75g of lime juice
  • 5 limes, zest
  • 22.5g of gellan gum
4
Pour the hot liquid into the lined baking tray, allow to cool slightly and set in the fridge. Once set, cut out discs with the 3cm cutter
5
For the lemon sauce, pass the lemon juice through a fine sieve. Pour the juice into a pan, add the sugar and salt and reduce the liquid to 150ml
  • 5 lemons, juiced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
6
Allow to the contents of the pan to cool and then beat in the oil gradually until you obtain a creamy mixture
  • 350ml of sunflower oil
7
For the clams, sauté the garlic and parsley in a pan fitted with a lid, add the clams and a few inches of water and bring to a rapid simmer. Simmer until all of the clams have opened
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 sprig of parsley, chopped
8
Once opened, remove the clams from the pan, pass the clam water through a sieve and add 150ml to the fish stock
9
To make the risotto, rinse the chopped shallots under running water and dry well. Sauté the shallots with a little olive oil and stir in the rice
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 300g of carnaroli risotto rice
  • olive oil
10
Slowly add the fish stock and clam water mixture, adding approximately 1 ladle at a time and stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process with all the remaining liquid – this should take approximately 20 minutes
  • 200g of fish stock
11
Stir in the butter until creamy, sprinkle in the thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper
  • 10g of thyme leaves
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • 10g of butter
12
Spread a circle of risotto on each plate, place a ring of clams around the rice and top with discs of lime jelly. Pour over some lemon sauce and decorate with flowers and sprigs of thyme to serve
First published in 2016
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In his adopted home of Piedmont, Antonio Cannavacciuolo effortlessly combines the dishes of north and south Italy at the beautiful two Michelin-starred restaurant Villa Crespi.

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