Juice of 1/2 lemon
1    Celery stalk, chopped
1/2    Carrot, chopped
1/2    Head fennel, chopped
1 3/4 lb Catfish fillets
Fish or vegetable stock
5 tb Unsalted butter
1/2    Onion, finely chopped
Salt, pepper
1    Cipollotto (wild onion or
-green onion) finely chopped
9 oz Vialone Nano rice-see recipe
2 tb White wine
2 tb Chopped chives
Typed by Manny Rothstein

(Another recipe from Del Pescatore, along the banks of the Oglio River and
in the small village of Runate, Italy. This is one of the house
specialties, risotto made with wild onions and catfish.)MR

Antonio Santini is adamant about using Vialone Nano rice for this dish,
but arborito will work almost as well. If you can find those little onions
that look like scallions but have very rounded bulbs (cipollotti), use
those for a more assertive onion flavor and cut the final amount of chives
in half.
In pot bring 4 cups water to boil with lemon, celery, carrot and fennel.
Reduce to simmer and add catfish. Cook at bare simmer until just flaking,
about 6 to 10 minutes. Remove fish from poaching liquid. Reserve poaching
liquid, adding enough fish stock or water to make 5 cups. Keep at boil for
cooking risotto.
While fish is poaching, melt 2 tb butter over med. heat in skillet. Add
onion and cook slowly, stirring, until onion is very tender. When onion is
tender, add fish and cook several minutes more. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Let cool. When fish is cool, chop coarsly.
In separate saute pan, cook wild onion in 1 tb butter over med. heat with
dash salt and 2 tb water. When water evaporates, add rice and cook cook
several minutes, until rice makes a dry “singing” sound when stirred. Add 1
cup boiling stock and cook, stirring until almost all stock is absorbed by
rice. Repeat, 1 cup at time, until rice is creamy and still bit chalky to
bite, about 15 minutes. Add fish, wine and chives and cook another 2 to 3
minutes. When rice is cooked al dente, add remaining butter and stir
vigorously so mixture becomes creamier. Rice should have a slightly soupy
consistancy. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 648 calories; 260 mg sodium; 131 mg
cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 75 grams carbs.; 38 grams protein; 2.6 grams
fiber. L A Times, 3/17/94.