First use risotto rice. If you don't you won't achieve the creamy texture that you are looking for. The good news is it is fairly widely available and you don't need to trek around Italian delis looking for it.
Some folks like to was their rice but I use it straight out of the bag because I want as much starch as possible.
Step 1 is to gently sweat an onion that has been finely chopped in a big heavy frying pan. I don't usually cook in olive oil but it seem right for this dish and I'm not going to get it sizzling hot so it doesn't loose its flavour. If you are adding raw meat put this in early to and let it seal gently.
Then you can add the rice and a knob of butter. The rice swells a lot during cooking so don't go mad. 100gm is a good portion. Stir the rice around until it is well coated with oil and it starts to go a bit pearly.
And now comes the tricky bit. Adding the liquid, which should be either a nice jelly stock or a stock cube. About 500ml of it. Start with 1 ladle of it. Stir the mixture in the pan keeping it on a light boil and making sure it doesn't stick.
When all the liquid is absorbed add another ladleful. Continue cooking, stirring and adding liquid until the rice is getting tender, a half hour or so. Now is the time to add stuff that needs cooking less. I think some peas are an important ingredient. The one in the picture has some chicken and frozen shrimps. Keep stirring, cooking and adding liquid until you get to something that is not quite soup and the rice is tender. Tun up the heat and add a good knob of butter and stir it in vigorously. Taste a season with salt and pepper.
To serve mould in a bowl and turn on to a plate. It should hold together until it gets to the table but if you bang the plate it collapses.
Finish with some shaved parmesan or piave d'oro snd serve it up.
Some things I know it works with: mussels, mixed seafood, white meat and firm white fish (conger is good.)
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