Risotto alla Salsiccia al Finocchietto

Fennel Pork Sausage Risotto

Ever since DC offered me some of his mother's fennel pork sausages from Puglia to try, I've been hooked on them. It's no longer enough to eat grilled sausages, I prefer the ones with fennel in them. And I absolutely do not like fennel normally. It is one of those things.

Once in a while, I would slip a few fennel pork sausages (not as good as DC's unfortunately - but will have to do) in my shopping basket when I go grocery shopping. I have seen sausage risotto or pasta mentioned in some menu once and have been thinking that the fennel ones would surely taste even better. This is how this Risotto alla Salsiccia al Finocchietto came to be.

And I will have to go on a crash diet sooner than expected as Hub just told me that he has been invited to a Unicef dinner gala in 2 weeks and for some reason, I've been invited as well. Arrgh...I have nothing to wear! Or nothing I could fit into anyway. I wonder how chic one has to be and am looking forward to finding out what the gala's all about. Read somewhere that it would be the prizegiving ceremony for the Ragno d'Oro 2010 and that there will be singers like Alberto Fortis, Demo Mura and Raina Kabaiwanska. Not that I know who they are.

Risotto alla Salsiccia al Finocchietto (serves 1-2 persons) :

1 small Onion

2-3 Garlic cloves

300g Fennel pork sausages

1 cup Arborio rice

2 Tbsp Parsley (chopped)

6-8 Cherry tomatoes (chopped)

150ml White wine

Chicken, beef or Vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese

Fry the diced onions either in butter or olive oil. Slice the fennel pork sausages and cook them in the fat till nicely grilled. Add the diced garlic when the sausages are grilled.

Add the arborio rice into the aromatic fat and mix well.

Stir in the chopped parsley and tomatoes.

Pour in the white wine and simmer till the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

Ladle in the broth one ladle at a time and stir from time to time as the rice absorbs the liquid.

When the rice is almost al dente, add one last ladle of broth and turn off the heat. Cover the pan.

Add salt, pepper and parmesan cheese to taste. Serve hot.

I was right, the fennel taste was awesome in the sausage and with the rice. This is going to be one of my favourite risottos.