Batali - Tastes: dinners with Mario Batali, a recipe sampler from America farm to table

SERVES 4

Risotto is intimidating only if you get obsessed with the constant stirring. If you start well with a good soffrito, you really can check in with risotto just every 3 or 4 minutes. The trick in this case is to add the oysters literally in the last 20 seconds, after you take the pan off the heat. You can buy squid ink at your fishmonger or online.

12 fresh oysters, scrubbed

cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium Spanish onion, cut into -inch dice

1 bulb fennel, cut into -inch dice

1 cups arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

4 to 6 cups Vegetable Broth (recipe below)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons squid ink

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

cup fennel fronds, chopped

Shuck the oysters over a strainer set over a small bowl to collect their liquor. Set aside the oysters and their liquor.

In a 12- to 14-inch frying pan with 3-inch sides, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook until softened but not brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring continuously, until opaque, about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the vegetable broth, ladle by ladle, until the rice is covered. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring intermittently, maintaining the level of the liquid to just about the level of the rice, for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and season accordingly. Continue cooking until the rice is tender but still al dente. Remove from the heat, add the squid ink and the butter. Stir for 30 seconds to incorporate.

Gently stir in the oysters with their liquor and the fennel fronds and let rest for 1 minute, then serve. Risotto should be wet and settle flat on the plate, with a little liquid edging out from the side.

MAKES 2 QUARTS

2 red onions, halved

2 carrots, scrubbed, cut into thirds

4 heads garlic, halved

2 leeks, split and rinsed well

1 bay leaf

4 quarts water

Place the onions, carrots, garlic, leeks, and bay leaf in a stockpot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain out the vegetables in a conical sieve over a large bowl and press firmly to extract all of the juices. Return the liquid to the same pot, set on the stovetop, and return the broth to a simmer to use in the risotto. If not using immediately, let cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

SERVES 4

This salad is one of my favorite things, as it contains a few of my heroes: beans, tuna, anchovies, and eggs. I am also partial to the radishes, olives, spuds, and arugula. Maybe I am Nioise myself, but this underlines a great point: Salads can have all of your favorite ingredients, so use a lot of them, but sparingly and in balance for harmony.