Sausage, Pepper and Fennel Risotto
Total time: 30 minutes
I used chicken sausages for this - but use any flavor you like, turkey, pork, spicy or not.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup (4.2oz, 125gr) Arborio rice (or other rice specifically for risotto - Carnaroli or Vialone Nano)
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) dry, white wine
- 2 1/4 cups (18oz, 540ml) chicken stock may not all be used
- 1/2 onion other half for the condimenti
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese - freshly grated (about 2oz, 60gr)
- Condimenti:
- 6oz (180gr) sausages, any flavor, hot or not
- 1 medium fennel bulb
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small orange or red bell pepper
- 1 tbs parsley
Instructions:
- Heat chicken stock and keep hot over low heat.
- Finely chop onion.
- In medium saucepan heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent.
- Add rice and sauté stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until rice has white center.
- Add white wine and stir.
- Start condimenti.
- When wine is almost absorbed add a 1/3 cup of stock, stir.
- When stock is almost absorbed add another 1/3 cup and continue adding 1/3 cup at a time and stirring.
- Before the last 1/3 cup taste a few kernels of rice. They should be just 'al dente' - slightly resistant to the tooth but fully cooked. If more stock is needed add it 1/6 cup at a time and waiting until almost completely absorbed.
- At this point risotto will be thick but not stiff - there will still be visible liquid and it will not hold its shape on a plate.
- Stir in the Parmesan and condimenti, pour into a bowl or risotto platter and serve immediately. It will continue to absorb liquid and the leftovers (if any) will be very stiff.
- Condimenti:
- Cut the sausage into 1" (3cm) pieces.
- Chop the onion and pepper.
- Mince the garlic.
- Slice off stem end of fennel, remove outer layer if needed, otherwise rinse.
- Cut fennel into 1/4" (.5cm) slices, then cut slices in half.
- Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium. Add pepper, fennel and onion and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, sausages and sauté until sausages are cooked through, 7 - 8 minutes longer.
- Turn heat to low and let cook slowly until needed.