Risotto with fennel sausage, beer and boiled chestnuts

• 10 minutes to prepare • 30 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

Castagne

We Italians love chestnuts and there are different varieties throughout the country, including the fuller marroni and the flatter castagne.
They can be roasted, boiled, puréed and candied, and added to soups, salads, pasta, risottos and desserts. Name one preparation, I love it, ah-ah!

They’re a popular street food; roasted chestnuts are sold from pushcarts in autumn.
Here the chestnuts add depth and a sweet nuttiness to a Autumnal risotto, complementing the herby Italian sausages perfectly. Enjoy!


Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

320 g Carnaroli rice 
1 shallot
200 g fennel sausage
1 l meat broth
1 glass Lager beer
100 g grated Parmigiano cheese
100 g boiled and peeled chestnuts

10 g butter
salt and pepper

1. Cut the skin of the sausage with the tip of a sharp knife and remove it. Cut the sausage into nibbles of equal size
2. Braise the chopped shallot with the melted butter until golden, then add the sausage and let it become golden
3. Pour the rice into the pan and let it toast for 1 minute
4. Simmer it with the beer until it evaporates
5. Cook the rice, adding a spoonful of boiling broth at a time, as for a normal risotto, (please refer to the cooking time indicated on the rice package)
6. A few moments before the rice is done, add the chestnuts - partially smashed -, freshly ground pepper and the Parmigiano cheese. Stir to mix and serve immediately!

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.