Directions

Gently fry the chopped onion in a small casserole dish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt for about 10-15 minutes on a low heat.  Add a knob of butter and fry until the onions turn golden and caramelised. Keep to one side. 

With an oyster knife carefully open the oysters. Lay flat in your hand and hold in place with a tea towel. Insert the tip of the oyster knife into the "hinge" and gently twist the edge of the knife to pry it open. Carefully cut the muscle away from the shell by sliding the knife horizontally along the inside of the top of the shell. Save as much of the oyster water as possible during the process as, once you’ve filtered out any shell dust it can be used during the cooking to add flavour. Remove the oysters and place them in an ice-cold bowl of a small amount of water to rinse away any sand. Puree the oysters with a blender.

In a large casserole dish, start to toast the rice on a low heat with a pinch of salt, without adding oil or fat. This way, the heat reaches the core of each rice grain resulting in a more al dente rice. Keep stirring the rice, so that it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or burn. When the rice is very hot, pour 100 ml of the Prosecco DOC in. Let the alcohol evaporate, set the cooking time to 15 minutes and then add simmering stock a ladle at a time, little by little. Stir the rice occasionally and keep cooking. At this stage you can also use the oyster water.

Halfway through the cooking, add the caramelised onion to the rice.

Once the time is up, if you’re happy with the texture remove it from the heat.

The next step is called “mantecatura” – with the right movements you can make the risotto creamier and increase its natural ooziness.

Add the oyster puree, the zest of ½  lemon, the Grana Padano and 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to the rice. Pour in a splash the Prosecco and stir with energy to incorporate extra air until the risotto is nice and creamy. Season to taste.

Plate the hot risotto straight away and top it with thinly sliced smoked mackerel and garnish with fresh lemon balm leaves.

Recipe by Danilo Cortellini

Tips

It is fair to say that this is not a beginner’s recipe but more for cooks with a few hours of cooking time under their belt. Marinating and smoking your own fish is quite rewarding and not complex at all if you have good quality fish but it could be time consuming and smelly for your kitchen, so a lightly smoked mackerel from a trusted fishmonger might be the best solution.