Red Wine Risotto with Sausage, Porcini and Giblets
My grandmother was born in a small town in the Lombardia region of Italy, that bordered the Piemonte region. I don’t know for certain, but through research I believe this is the reason that growing up, the risotto in my house was made using red wine as was common in Piemonte. I actually wasn't aware that there were other ways of making it until I moved to San Francisco in 1964 and tasted Risotto Milanese. It was also a great introduction to saffron. Since then I've made my favorite rice dish many different ways, but this version from my childhood still feeds my soul. I realize that the giblets are something that most people discard, but I urge you to try them. They add a special flavor and texture that blends well with the spiciness of the sausage, the earthy quality of the dried Porcini and the "toothyness" of the rice.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (40g)
- 2 tbsp shallots (30g)
- 2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (57g) soaked in 1 cup of hot water
- 1 cup pork or chicken sausage (138g)
- 1/2 cup chicken giblets (75g)
- 2 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice (345g)
- 48 floz chicken stock (1.4L)
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (119ml)
- 2 tbsp butter (28.5g)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (42g)
Instructions
THE PREP
- 1. Dice the shallots. 2. Soak the dried Porcini mushroom in one cup very hot of water. 3. If using sausage with casings, remove the casings and break the sausage meat into small pieces. 4. Chop the chicken giblets (heart, liver, gizzard). 5. Pour the chicken stock into a pot and place over low heat.6. Once they are soft, remove the rehydrated Porcini mushrooms from the soaking liquid, squeeze out the excess moisture, chop in to small pieces. Set those aside, along with the one cup of soaking liquid.
COOKING PROCESS
- A heavy wide, shallow pan is the best, but any heavy pan will work. Heat the olive oil, add the shallots, the sausage and giblets. Sauté until the sausage and giblets are browned and the shallots are a golden brown.
- Turn the heat to medium low, and add the rice. Stir the rice for about 4 minutes to coat with the oil and sear the outer surface. This is an extremely important part. The searing of the outer surface of the rice is what allows it to absorb twice the amount of liquid while remaining firm. Add a bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Now add the wine and the chopped Porcini mushrooms.
- As soon as the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add the mushroom soaking liquid, being careful not to add the part containing the sediment that will accumulate at the bottom. As soon as that has been absorbed, start adding the stock, one dipper full (dipper full = between 1/3-1/2 cup)at a time. As one dipper has been absorbed, add another, and keep repeating this process. If you have a nice heavy pan, you will not need to constantly stir, but do pay close attention to the liquid level.
- After about 20 minutes, taste the rice. It should be el dente. You may like it quite el dente, or a bit more cooked, it’s a personal preference. When it is the texture of your choice, remove from the heat and fold in the butter, grated cheese, and check for salt and pepper. Once the butter and cheese have been folded in, pour a full ladle of broth over the top, put the lid on the pan and let set for 3 minutes.
- After that, the risotto should be creamy, silky with just a bit of "tooth" to the bite. Risotto is a bit like a soufflé in that it must be served immediately.
- Note: you may not need all of the stock. Amount used varies due to quality and type of rice, your pot, cooking temperature and more. But it’s better to have a bit extra than running short. If you do run short you may use water, just heat it before adding.