2 to 3 anchovy fillets, soaked for 15 minutes in water to cover, rinsed and finely chopped (optional)
1 14-oz. can tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
Generous pinch of saffron
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions:
1. Drain the tuna over a bowl. Stir the tuna water into the chicken or vegetable stock. Taste and add more salt as needed for a well-seasoned stock. Break up the tuna in a bowl, and add to it one of the garlic cloves, one tablespoon of olive oil, and the parsley. Set aside.
2. Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan, and turn the heat to low.
3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or wide saucepan, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and then add the remaining garlic. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the garlic is fragrant, and then stir in the anchovies and tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains are separate and well coated with the tomato mixture, two to three minutes.
5. Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble, but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. When the wine has just about evaporated, rub the saffron between your fingertips and stir in, along with a ladleful or two of the simmering stock, enough to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly. Cook, stirring often and vigorously, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful of the stock, and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly. Keep adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for 20 to 25 minutes. Taste a bit of the rice. It should be chewy but not hard in the middle, not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, keep adding stock and cook for another five minutes or so. Taste and adjust salt.
6. When the rice is cooked al dente, stir in the tuna mixture and peas. Add another ladleful or two of stock and several twists of the peppermill. Stir for a couple of minutes, and then taste and adjust seasonings. The mixture should be creamy. Add a little more stock if it is not. Spoon onto plates or into wide soup bowls, and serve.
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