Risotto With Sausage And Cranberry Borlotti Beans Recipes

RISOTTO WITH SAUSAGE AND CRANBERRY (BORLOTTI) BEANS

Steps:

• If using fresh beans, shell them, put them in a pot with enough cold, unsalted water to cover by about two inches, bring the water to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook at a slow, steady pace until tender, about 45 minutes to one hour. Let them steep in their liquid until ready to use. If using dried beans, soak them overnight or for at least six hours, drain, then boil them in a fresh change of water untl tender. Let them steep in their liquid until ready to use.
• Put the oil and chopped onion in a medium skillet, turn on the heat to medium, and cook the onions, stirring frequently until translucent but not coloured. Add the crumbled sausage and cook it, turning it over with a wooden spoon, until it becomes coloured a rich brown all over.
• Retrieve the cooked beans from their pot, using a colander spoon or another slotted spoon, and put them in the skillet. Add one or two tablespoons of water from the bean pot, and mash about half the beans, pressing them against the bottom of the skillet with the wooden spoon.
• Cook for about a minute, turning the contents of the pot over with the spoon from time to time. Pour the broth into a saucepan, bringing it to the boil and keeping it at a slow, sputtering simmer.
• Place the heavy-bottomed saucepan where you'll be making the risotto on the burner nearest to the broth, empty the contents of the skillet into it, and turn the heat under the risotto pot to medium high. Stir, and when the beans and sausages are sizzling hot, add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly to coat the rice well.
• Add one cup of simmering broth, and cook the rice, stirring it and periodically adding liquid. Finish cooking the rice, stirring always and adding broth when needed, until tender but firm to the bite, about 25 minutes.
• Take the pot off the heat and do the mantecare step, swirling in the butter and Parmesan, turning the risotto over four or five times. Add the chopped parsley, salt and ground pepper to taste, stir once or twice more; transfer to a warm platter and serve at once.
• What is mantecare? Mantecare is the final step of making risotto. The word is borrowed from the Spanish for butter, mantequilla. In Italian it means to work butter or cream into what you are cooking to give it a soft consistency. In making risotto you do this when the risotto is cooked but is still steaming in the pot. Add a tablespoon or so of butter and some freshly grated cheese, and swirl them in to combine. It is the final and best touch, giving the risotto its great consistency.

RISOTTO WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Add the butter and olive oil to a medium skillet (cast iron works great). We use nonstick for convenience at the restaurant. When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the garlic and then add the rice. Stir the rice and garlic to coat with the oil and butter. Once completely coated, stirring for about a minute, add some of the stock until the rice is slightly covered. Continue to add the stock slowly as the stock is absorbed by the rice. Reduce to medium heat and stir occasionally to prevent sticking to skillet.
• Once the rice has cooked for 5 to 10 minutes, add the saffron. Continue to add the stock slowly, covering the rice with stock, allowing it to absorb into the rice while cooking and then recovering the rice with stock. This process will be repeated until the rice is cooked to desired tenderness. As the saffron is slowly absorbed into the rice, the risotto will turn a brilliant yellow. If you use stringy style saffron it should all be broken down and absorbed by the time the risotto is finished. (The powder version takes less time to absorb.)
• Slowly reduce the amount of chicken stock that is added as you reach the desired tenderness, about 45 minutes. Once this magical point is reached, stir in the cheese.
• Add the sausage to a medium pot of boiling water. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes depending on size and style of sausage. (Don't pierce the sausage.)
• Place the desired serving size of risotto on a plate or pasta bowl. Garnish by sprinkling a medium circle of cheese in the middle of the risotto and sprinkle a smaller circle of parsley on top for color. Peel the sausage, slice lengthwise in half and line the boarder of each side of the risotto with the sausage. (Optionally, cut the sausage in 1/4-inch pieces on the bias and add to the risotto before plating.)

BORLOTTI BEANS WITH HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Place Borlotti beans, garlic cloves and 1-bay leaf in a bowl. Cover with water and soak over night. Rinse under cold water before using.
• Pre-heat oven to 325°F.
• In a Dutch oven melt butter, add olive oil and bay leaves. Add Italian sausages and brown on all sides. Remove sausages and place on a sheet pan with parchment paper. Bake Italian Sausages for 20-minutes. Hold sausages for service.
• Add onions, Serrano pepper and sauté until tender. Add chopped garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes.
• Add Pinot Noir Wine and reduce by half. Add Fresh Herbs, season with fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
• Add Ham Stock, Borlotti Beans and bring to a full boil. Cover the beans, reduce to a simmer for 1-hour or until Borlotti Beans are tender. Stir the pot several times to prevent beans from burning.
• Add the cooked Hot Italian Sausages and simmer for 15-minutes.
• Season the beans with fine sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Serve in warm soup bowls.
• Garnish the beans with Fresh Chopped Green Onions.

SAUSAGE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 3 minutes. Add shallots, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; saute until shallots begin to caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add Arborio rice and stir until it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and continue stirring until almost absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Begin to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir until broth is almost completely absorbed, then add another 1/2 cup and repeat. Continue adding broth until risotto resembles a thick porridge but still has some bite to it. This process will take 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Stir in the sausage mixture, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt if necessary. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve immediately.

CREAMY SAUSAGE RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, heat broth and keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Set aside and keep warm. , In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic and saffron in butter and oil until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Carefully stir in 1 cup warm broth. Cook and stir until all of the liquid is absorbed., Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. (Cooking time is about 20 minutes.) Add reserved sausage; heat through. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese and cream. Serve immediately.

TOMATO AND SAUSAGE RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
• In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).
• Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

CHORIZO & BROAD BEAN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium-sized pan, then add the bacon, shallots, garlic and chorizo. Gently cook for 8 mins, stirring occasionally so everything cooks evenly.
• Stir in the rice, coating all over with the cooking juices in the pan. Add just enough stock to cover the rice, bring to a simmer and gently cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladleful at a time, and gently cook. Just before the final ladleful of stock, add the broad beans and stir through, cooking for 3-4 mins until tender. Remove the chorizo, slice thinly, return to the pan and mix through before serving.