German Risotto Recipes

Steps:

• Warm the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cover and keep warm while you make the risotto.
• Heat the olive oil in another medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and about 10 grinds of black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves and 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until the butter has melted, about 1 minute.
• Add the rice and toast, stirring only once, until it smells nutty and starts to turn light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has evaporated completely, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle one cup of the warm stock into the rice and cook, stirring gently without stopping, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes (you will know it's time to add more stock when you move the rice aside and no liquid pools in the center).
• Repeat this process, adding more stock a ladleful at a time, until the rice is al dente, 17 to 19 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You may have a little stock left over. If so, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.) If you prefer your risotto on the saucier side, add more stock 1/4 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
• Stir in the Parmesan, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of black pepper and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Steps:

• Sautee onions in a pan that's hot with all the olive oil and butter. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent and a little browned, about 8-10 minutes.
• At the same time, warm your broth with your bay leaf, on a separate burner. Simmer, then lower heat to keep it warm. Don't boil.
• Add the sausage to the onions and brown it. Drain off 3/4 of the grease and add garlic.
• Add the rice to the sausage and stir a few times until rice is toasted and opaque.
• Add dry mustard, marjoram, salt and beer to the rice. Cook until beer has been almost evaporated.
• Into the rice, add 2 ladles full of broth. Stir the risotto frequently until nearly all the broth has been absorbed (reserve about half a ladle). Important to keep stirring.
• When that broth has been absorned, add 2 more ladles of broth. Stir frequently until that broth has been absorned. Then add more broth; continue this process until you have used all the broth or until the rice has become fully cooked and tender.
• Turn off heat and stir in the remaining half ladle of broth, and then the parm cheese. Serve immediately with the smoked gouda on top, and chopped fresh parsley and chives for garnish and flavor.