As if on cue, we got three inches of snow last night. But it doesn’t matter; it’s 40 degrees now, and melting away at a good clip. This time of year the sun moves five sun-widths higher in the sky every week. I didn’t even mind shoveling this morning.
There wasn’t much in the house yesterday, but I did spy a pot of chicken broth (from the carcass of dinner a couple nights ago) mixed with a green puréed garden soup I had defrosted over the weekend. And there was a big bunch of carrots. And some of our homemade crepinettes in the freezer. Once defrosted, I cooked the sausage in the iron pan until good and brown, and then began the risotto process in all that glistening porktacular fat. Meanwhile, I simmered sliced carrots in water and blood orange juice with fresh ginger and turmeric- being too lazy to roast them- until they were nice and soft. I removed the rhizomes and stick-blended the carrots and their liquid plus an ume plum into a nice smooth purée.
The greenish broth and orange carrots kind of canceled each other out, but the result had a rich depth of flavor that set off the sausages beautifully. These were seasoned with lots of garlic, ginger, shichimi, sesame oil, and yuzu juice, so they melded well with the vaguely Asian theme of the rice (I also used sake in place of wine.) We drank a 1999 Francios Parent Vosne-Romanée that did well enough; it’s actually quite good, but a floral white like a Condrieu would have been a better choice.
I had lamb crepinettes at the V-Day dinner the other night, and was glad to remember I have a sheet of caul fat in my freezer. I just need to find a way to pry it off the leaf lard without tearing. :\
I had to google what crepinette was. Looks pretty good. I’m into variations on risotto. People seem to get stuck in a risotto rut from time to time. Props.
This looks wonderful! 🙂
I dont care what the color scheme is. Sausage and risotto makes mouth happy.
heh heh heh
porktakular. love it. besides this meal, you also made me smile by reminding me that at this time of year the sun gets higher every day.
ok, so i’m paraphrasing… you know what i mean.
Blanche: Carefully.
Kristie: Risotto is so malleable- I think that’s what I like most about it.
Maryann: Thanks. It tasted pretty good.
Brittany: They do at that.
Amy: Seems like the sun isn’t the only one.