 Sounds a bit weird but if you can switch off the artichoke, primavera, asparagus mindset and think of risotto as earthy peasant food it all becomes a bit more natural. Sausage and bean risotto is a Marcella Hazan classic so substituting the rice for pearled spelt is a natural next step. I’m a newcomer to the spelt risotto concept but have to admit to being mightily impressed. It doesn’t absorb as much stock as rice but I had no difficulty reaching the uniformly slightly chewy consistency and it held it when I reheated it the next day.
Definitely a success!
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Ingredients - serves 6
olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
450g Riverford Italian sausages, skins removed
2 tins Essential Borlotti beans
500g pearled spelt
a glass of vermouth, dry sherry or white wine
1.25 litres chicken or beef stock, hot
to finish:
75g freshly grated Parmesan
75g chilled butter, diced
50g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
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Method
1 Heat oil in heavy saucepan, gently fry the onion and garlic until soft but not colouring. Break up the sausage meat and add to the pan, raising the heat to brown. Now and add one tin of drained, rinsed beans, mashing them up roughly with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the pearled spelt, stirring until coated then pour in the booze. Keep stirring until the wine has been absorbed and then start adding the stock a ladle at a time. Add the second tin of beans (again, drained and rinsed). Stir occasionally to make sure the liquid is being evenly absorbed. Keep going until the spelt is cooked but still a little chewy. Remember this isn’t going to be restaurant risotto that stands up on the
plate so it will be a fairly wet.
2 Fold in the cheese, butter and parsley and season to taste (go easy on the salt, particularly if you used stock cubes or powder). Serve in warmed bowls. |
