Risotto Milanese with Clams

Rinse the clams under cold running water and wash thoroughly to remove any sand. Discard any opened shells. Trim the vegetables and cut into 0.5 cm (approximately 1/4 inch) cubes. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the vegetables and sauté until tender but colorless, add the mussels, pour in the wine, add the herbs, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes until all the clams have opened. Discard any unopened shells. Remove 2/3 of the clams from the shell and leave the rest in the shell for garnish.

For the risotto, peel the onion and finely chop. Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté onions, stirring occasionally. Pour all of the rice in at once and stir. Stir constantly until the rice is translucent. (Neither the onions nor the rice should have color!) Deglaze with some wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Stir in saffron threads. Pour in stock or wine, stirring constantly. Only when the liquid is mostly absorbed, pour in more stock or wine. Continue process until risotto is done, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly and season to taste.