Preparation / Directions:
(Another recipe from Del Pescatore, along the banks of the Oglio River and in the small village of Runate, Italy. This is one of the house specialties, risotto made with wild onions and catfish.)MR Antonio Santini is adamant about using Vialone Nano rice for this dish, but arborito will work almost as well. If you can find those little onions that look like scallions but have very rounded bulbs (cipollotti), use those for a more assertive onion flavor and cut the final amount of chives in half.
In pot bring 4 cups water to boil with lemon, celery, carrot and fennel. Reduce to simmer and add catfish. Cook at bare simmer until just flaking, about 6 to 10 minutes. Remove fish from poaching liquid. Reserve poaching liquid, adding enough fish stock or water to make 5 cups. Keep at boil for cooking risotto.
While fish is poaching, melt 2 tb butter over med. heat in skillet.
Add onion and cook slowly, stirring, until onion is very tender. When onion is tender, add fish and cook several minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool. When fish is cool, chop coarsly.
In separate sauté‚pan, cook wild onion in 1 tb butter over med. heat with dash salt and 2 tb water. When water evaporates, add rice and cook several minutes, until rice makes a dry "singing" sound when stirred. Add 1 cup boiling stock and cook, stirring until almost all stock is absorbed by rice. Repeat, 1 cup at time, until rice is creamy and still bit chalky to bite, about 15 minutes. Add fish, wine and chives and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. When rice is cooked al dente, add remaining butter and stir vigorously so mixture becomes creamier. Rice should have a slightly soupy consistency. Makes 4 servings.
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