Rinse the mussels in cold water, remove the mussels that remain open or are broken. Chop 1 onion and 2 celery stalks finely, place in a large pot with 1 knob of butter, sauté, deglaze with the white wine, add mussels, shake and put the lid on, cook on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are open and remove from heat, let cool slightly.
Place a large colander over a large pot and pour the mussels into it. Shell the mussels, you only need the cooked mussels and the delicious broth. Depending on the consistency, you need about 1 part rice and 3 parts broth, I like it very moist so about 1 liter of broth. Keep a few mussels in the shell for garnish.
Finely chop the garlic, onion, and celery stalks and sauté in a high saucepan with the olive oil, add the rice and fry for a minute while stirring, deglaze with the vermouth, add thyme, bay leaf, and saffron, season with pepper and salt. Now add a ladle of warm mussel broth each time and stir regularly until it is completely absorbed, continue doing this until the broth is gone.
Stir in the mascarpone and Parmesan, and possibly an extra knob of butter, taste and season if necessary. Serve in deep plates, finish with a few mussels and extra grated Parmesan cheese. If you like more spice in your risotto, prepare my crispy oil in advance.
Tips
For risotto it is best to use arborio rice. Other popular options are Carnaroli rice and Vialone Nano rice. These rice species absorb more moisture and therefore give the characteristic creamy texture to risotto. It is best to heat risotto with mussels in a pan over low heat. Add a little extra broth or water to prevent dehydration and stir regularly to warm up evenly.
