Brown Ale Risotto with sausage and mushrooms

Risotto has always remained a mystery to me, seemingly too complex and finicky to attempt. But AleMeals is about stretching the boundaries of cooking with beer. So idea was to use brown ale along with chicken stock to cook the arborio rice of the dish. The addition of the sausage and hearty brown mushrooms create a hearty and filling dish.

The big secret to risotto is patience. Continually stir the rice as you painstakingly pour in the brown ale and chicken stock, the result will be a creamy and rich rice dish. Remember risotto takes about 2 beers to complete…a perfect amount of effort for the reward.

Hardware

• 12 oz nutty brown ale (such as Sam Adams Hazel Brown) room temperature
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 lbs hot Italian sausage
• 2 cups brown mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour the brown ale and chicken stock in a medium sauce pot and keep warm
2. Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat
3. Add the hot Italian sausage and saute until browned, about 3 minutes
4. Add onion and garlic to the same pan, and saute until soft
5. Add brown mushrooms to the same pan, and saute until soft
6. Remove the sausage mixture from the pan, but do not wipe clean
7. Add the arborio rice and saute for 1-2 minutes
8. Add 1 cup of the beer & chicken stock mixture and stir in until it is fully absorbed
9. Continue adding the ale and stock in 1 cup increments until it is fully absorbed
10. Cook until the rice appears creamy and is al dente
11. Add the sausage mixture back to the pan
12. Stir in butter and cheeses
13. Season risotto with salt and pepper
14. Pull up a chair to the table and chow down

Images of this recipe and more at AleMeals

bon appetit