Italian Dinner - Sausage with Risotto
Despite my good manners, I know that photo could make the mind wander. I am not sure a single sausage on a white plate in a brown sauce is the best presentation (some how, a lot of parsley seems appropriate). Yet, I kid you not, this was a tasty, albeit simple, meal.
Ukrop’s recently started selling (in limited quantities) the Niman Ranch uncured pork products. I picked up a sample of this sausage and was hooked. I wanted to cook them up as soon as I got home, it was that good.
I made this one by sautéeing in olive oil and garlic, then adding red wine. I then let the red wine reduce sans sausage, and added some balsamic vinegar. The reduction became a sauce, with the addition of a little chicken stock, pepper, and salt.
The main course, however, was a mushroom risotto.
I’ve made risotto dozens of times, but this time I let the Gourmet cookbook be my guide. The main flavor here is porcini mushrooms. Since I was using dried (as called for), I augmented with some fresh, white button mushrooms. I added more garlic. And I used a little marscapone and truffle oil at the end.
For a colder night, it was richly satisfying. The little bit of meat by way of the sausage, rounded things out.
Filed by MessyChef at November 25th, 2007 under In the Kitchen