Sunday lunch # 3

With this Sunday food postcard, I want to introduce you to my Sunday Lunch series of post.
This is my third and probably the richest and tastiest one so far.
A traditionally composed meal (in Italy):
Primo piatto - Porcini, Asparagus and Sausage Risotto
Secondo (main dish) - Chicken and Zucchini Meatballs + salad
Dessert - Orange and Yogurt Tiramisù

In America you would probably serve the risotto as a side dish, in Italy it's a warm starter or first dish served (so are the pasta dishes and soups/minestrone). The quantities per person are 60 g of rice or 80 g of pasta.
This risotto is so rich, that on any other day, I would have served it as a main dish, but on Sunday, I feel a little extravagant and exaggarate.

It all started on Thursday, when I found some fresh porcini mushrooms at my supermarket. It's such a rare occasion for me, that regardless the price (Phew!!!), I decided to buy them.

My dilemma was to make a risotto or tagliatelle. My husband voted for risotto, and then to my surprise I also found some fresh asparagus on Saturday (I hadn't seen any for months), and from that point the decision was easy.
Our favourite risotto that we discovered at a local restaurant, and that I tried to recreate several times already(I'm sure they wouln't have given me the recipe even I asked for it).
I love both the creaminess and flavour of this risotto.
I was a bit afraid the asparagus would be too hard if not precooked, but they were very thin and tender, so they had just the right consistency in risotto.

I didn't use all of the mushrooms, I froze half, and probably will be using them for something else.
The rest of my Sunday dishes will follow soon.



PORCINI, ASPARAGUS AND SAUSAGE RISOTTO

240 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
100 g lean pork sausage
10 asparagus
2-3 fresh porcini mushrooms (or frozen or dry equivalent)
1 litre vegetable stock (you may need less)
1 small onion or shallot
100 ml white wine
grated Parmigiano Reggiano
50 g Caciotta cheese
1/2 tblspoon butter
salt, pepper

Chop finely the sausage meat.

Wash and dry the asparagus, cut off the soft tips (3-4 cm) and slice the rest.

Clean, wash and dry the mushrooms. Slice them into rather big pieces.

Chop finely the onion and saute with a couple tablespoons of oil at low heat.

When the onion is translucent, add the sausage and stirfry until the meat is no longer red.

Add the sliced asparagus (leave the tips for later) and mushrooms. Stirfry again for a couple minutes. Add salt and pepper to your taste (don't exaggarate with salt, as the stock and cheeses will add to saltiness already).

Add rice.

Cook all together shortly and then add the wine. Wait for the wine to evaporate.

Start adding the stock, 2-3 ladles at a time.

Stir occasionaly and let cook on medium heat.
I left the asparagus tips in hot stock until about 5-7 minutes to the end and then added those to the risotto as well.


When the rice is al dente, turn the heat off, add the butter, chopped Caciotta cheese (if you have any, it's an optional, just add a bit more Parmigiano if you don't have any), grated Parmigiano (2-3 tblspoons).


Stir till they all melt and mantecate.

Let the risotto rest a minute or two, sprinkle with some finely chopped parsley leaves and serve.



(Cro)
RIŽOTO S VRGANJIMA, ŠPAROGAMA I KOBASICOM

Sastojci (za 4 osobe);

240 g riže
100 g svježe svinjske kobasice
10-ak šparoga
2-3 svježa vrganja
1 litra temeljca (juhe) od povrća
1 mala glavica crvenog luka
100 ml bijelog vina
ribani parmezan
50 g polutvrdog sira
1/2 žlice maslaca
sol, papar

Sitno narežite (ili namrvite) meso od kobasice (bez ovitka).
Šparoge operite, odrežite vrhove (3-4 cm), a ostatak narežite na komadiće.
Vrganje očistite, operite, posušite i narežite na krupnije komadiće.
Sitno narežite luk pa popržite na laganoj vatri s 2 žlice maslinovog ulja.
Dodajte kobasicu i kuhajte miješajući nekoliko minuta.
Dodajte šparoge (osim vrhova) i vrganje. Posolite i popaprite. Nakon nekoliko minuta dodajte i rižu i kuhajte sve skupa miješajući dok riža nije staklasta.
Dodajte vino i pustite da ispari. Dodajite malo po malo vruću juhu.
Rižoto se ne smije osušiti, ali ne treba ni dodati previše juhe odjedanput. Stoga često provjeravajte, promiješajte i dodajite po potrebi još juhe.
U međuvremenu ostavite vrhove šparoga u vrućoj juhi, i dodajte ih 5-7 minuta prije kraja.
Kad je riža kuhana, skinite s vatre. Umiješajte maslac, narezani sir, i 2-3 žlice naribanog parmezana. Miješajte dok se sve ne istopi i rižoto postane kremast. Sačekajte par minuta i poslužite.



(Ita)
RISOTO CON PORCINI, ASPARAGI E SALSICCIA

Ingredienti per 4 persone:

240 g di riso Arborio o Carnaroli
100 g di salsiccia magra (ho usato Luganega)
10 asparagi
2-3 porcini freschi
1 litro di brodo di verdure
1 cipolla piccola o scalogno
100 ml di vino bianco
Parmigiano grattugiato
50 g circa di Caciotta
1/2 cucchiaio di burro
sale e pepe

Sbriciolate la salsiccia.
Lavate e asciugate gli asparagi. Tagliate le punte (3-4 cm) e riducete il resto a pezzetti.
Pulite bene i funghi, eliminate la parte terrosa del gambo e tagliateli a pezzi o fettine.
Pulite e tritate finemente la cipolla. Fattela appassire con 2 cucchiai di olio EVO a fiamma bassa.
Aggiungete la salsiccia e fattela rosolare. Unite anche i funghi e gli asparagi (tranne le punte).
Salate (poco) e pepate a piacere. Dopo un minuto o due aggiungete il riso e fattelo insaporire a fuoco vivace mescolando continuamente. Bagnate con il vino bianco e lasciatelo evaporare.
Aggiungete poco alla volta il brodo bollente mescolando di tanto in tanto e lasciate cuocere per 15-18 minuti.
Nel frattempo, ho lasciato le punte di asparagi nel brodo bollente e li ho aggiunto 5 minuti dalla fine cottura.
Quando il riso è al dente, spegnete il fuoco e mantecate il riso con il burro, la caciotta tagliata a dadini piccoli e 2-3 cucchiai di Parmigiano grattugiato. Servite ben caldo.