'Cate' posted a way of making Risotto using Italian sausage. I had never
made risotto (hey, I only learned to cook rice a couple of weeks ago!) but
had a ton of hot Italian sausage and it looked good. Cate's way did not
specify quantities on some ingredients and I was leery but it turned out
wonderful. Here is what I did:

I browned a link of Italian sausage (freed from it's skin). There five
links in a package that weighed a pound. I removed the sausage from the pan
and added about 2 tbsps ea of EEVO and butter. When it got frothy, I
remembered to add some wine. Cate didn't specify how much and I had a 4 oz
glass in progress so I just added half. I am not sure if the wine added
anything. Maybe more would have been good.

I slowly sautéed an onion in the butter/oil/wine mixture being careful not
to burn anything on the bottom of the pot. When the onions was translucent
and soft, I added the rice. I was unsure how long to sauté the rice so I
sipped some wine and stirred and let it be about five minutes. I had a half
of a 1 lb bag of rice so that is what I used.

I went through four cups of chicken broth. I can only assume I did
everything correctly judging by the results. After I added one cup, I added
it 1/4 c at a time. When the moisture was reduced by evaporation or being
soaked into the rice, I added a little more. As time went by, I had a
creamy risotto. After about three cups, I started tasting the rice to for
doneness. It was at the 4th cup that it was truly tender. I added back the
Italian sausage and served it on a plate with a little bread made with oats
and sharp white cheddar cheese.

To be honest, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Thanks Cate for
providing your technique.

j

"Julianne" > wrote in message
news:IMAsb.213$%b2.201@lakeread05...
> 'Cate' posted a way of making Risotto using Italian sausage. I had never
> made risotto (hey, I only learned to cook rice a couple of weeks ago!) but
> had a ton of hot Italian sausage and it looked good. Cate's way did not
> specify quantities on some ingredients and I was leery but it turned out
> wonderful. Here is what I did:

Sorry I didn't include much in the way of details or amounts. It's become a
routine dinner here, so I often make it without thinking and it didn't even
occur to me to put the amounts.

I do indeed use about 4 cups of broth. I can only say I use 'some' wine or
vermouth, and one time I overdid it and the dish positively screamed of
wine. Your 4 oz sounds good to me--maybe next time try 6 oz if you find 4
didn't seem to add anything. I do find that between the same amounts of wine
or dry vermouth, the vermouth adds more and better flavor. Depends on the
wine you use, obviously, but I'm not a great white wine fan and when I have
it, it's cheap stuff.

One other thing: if I forgot to say, I use arborio rice for the risotto.
I've never tried using any other kind.

I'm really glad you tried it and liked it! I happen to be making it for
dinner tonight. It's a blustery, chilly day here, and it'll be good comfort
food, along with some leftover 3-cheese bread from Panera.

Cheers,
Cate

"Cate" > wrote in message
...

> I do indeed use about 4 cups of broth.

Correction: I use 3 14.5 oz cans or most of one 48 oz can of broth.

In a pinch once I used chicken bouillon dissolved in water, and it tasted
awful.

Cate