Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 1/2 poundsfresh cockles or manila clams (or a mix), scrubbed well
1/4 cupready-to-use (cut) dried wakame
2 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cupdried arborio rice
1/2 cupfrozen and thawed peas, or shelled fresh garden peas
2 tablespoonsunsalted butter
1 tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cupfreshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoonschopped chives, plus more for garnish
8 ouncesburrata cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine clam juice and 5 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Add cockles, cover and cook until they open, 1 to 2 minutes, transferring them to a small bowl as they open. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any grit and return to the cleaned saucepan. Keep broth hot over low heat.
Meanwhile, using a spice grinder and working in batches, grind wakame into a fine powder (you’ll have a heaping 2 tablespoons). A little patience is required here; occasionally shake the grinder or stir the mixture to loosen bits of wakame from the blade. After 1 to 2 minutes, a fine powder will gradually form.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add rice and stir until coated in oil and translucent around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in kombu powder until well blended. Add 1 cup of clam broth and simmer briskly, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed (about 3 minutes). Continue simmering and adding hot broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is almost al dente and 1 cup of broth is left, 18 to 20 minutes.
While risotto cooks, remove cockles from shells and return them to the bowl; leave 12 cockles in their shells for garnish. Discard shells.
Add peas and remaining broth to risotto and cook, stirring, until rice is al dente and risotto is saucy, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in shelled cockles, butter, lemon juice, Parmesan and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide risotto in 4 bowls and swirl in one-quarter of the burrata into each bowl. Garnish risotto with the whole cockles, chives and black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve warm.