Wild Rice Risotto with Steamed Mussels and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:
2 pounds mussels, preferably small PEI
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup wild rice
kosher salt
5 T olive oil
1 small red onions, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
3/4 cup zinfandel or other robust dry red wine
1 small tarragon sprig, optional
black pepper in a mill
4 cups stock or water, plus more as needed (see note below)
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated dry jack cheese
2 T minced Italian parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon, optional

Note: A good poultry or meat stock contributes both flavor and structure to risotto. The very best stock for this recipe is duck but you may also use chicken stock (use 2 cups along with 2 cups of water). Mushroom stock is also a good choice. If you use water be sure to taste carefully and add salt if the risotto is a bit flat. The cooking liquid from the mussels can be strained and used for the last addition or two of stock.

Preparing the mussels:
Rinse the mussel in cool water, pull off pieces of beard, if any, and discard any mussels that are broken, light for their size or do not close when tapped. Cover and set aside.

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Preparing the risotto:
Set a small saute pan over medium heat, add the pine nuts and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, being careful that they do not burn. Immediately transfer to a bowl or piece of wax paper. Set side.

Put the wild rice into a medium saucepan and add 3 cups of cold water and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer gently until the grains just begin to pop open, about 30 to 40 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl and pour the wild rice and cooking liquid into it. Set the wild rice aside and return the cooking liquid to the saucepan. Add enough stock or water to equal about 5 cups. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to very low and keep hot.

Put 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into a deep saute pan or medium saucepan and put the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a second saucepan big enough to hold the mussels. Put the onion, carrot and half the garlic into the first pan (with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil) and put the remaining garlic and the shallot into second pan. Set both pans over medium-low heat and saute until the aromatics are soft and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes for the onion and 7 to 8 minutes for the shallot. Season both with salt. Remove the second saute pan from the heat.

Add the uncooked rice to the cooked onion, carrot and garlic and saute, stirring constantly, until the grains turns milky white, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the zinfandel and the tarragon sprig, if using, and simmer, stirring gently, until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice. Begin adding the hot stock or water, a half cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the liquid is absorbed. When the rice is almost but not quite tender, stir in the cooked wild rice. Use tongs to remove and discard the tarragon sprig. Continue to cook, with smaller additions of stock (about 1/4 cups at a time) until the rice is tender but not mushy.

Working quickly, return the second pan to high heat, add the white wine and the reserved mussel, cover and cook for 4 minutes; check and continue to cook for another minute or so if the mussels have not opened. Remove from the heat.

Stir the cheese into the risotto, taste, correct for salt and season generously with black pepper. Divide among individual soup plates and top with the mussels. Sprinkle with Italian parsley and pine nuts and serve.

Serves 4