I couldn’t get enough of Top Chef in the early 2010s. The show fueled my desire to learn more about cooking and satisfied my competitive spirit. There were a few seasons where it seemed like every contestant was doomed for the chopping block if they made a risotto. What was it about this mushy rice dish that was so hard to master?

This question was on my mind when I took an Italian cooking class with my husband. The instructor went into great detail about the intricacies of kneading focaccia, pasta making and how to create these adorable little tiramisu parfaits. When asked how to make the perfect risotto, though, he said it takes nothing more than “love and time.”

I developed this Spicy Sausage, Kale and Tomato Risotto recipe by accident. I’d meant to buy ground mild Italian sausage but somehow ended up with ground spicy sausage in my shopping basket. This happy accident of a dish has evolved over time. I added the kale at some point in a feigned attempt to make this dish healthy, and because kale used to be 99 cents a bunch back when people thought it was exclusively a decoration for the seafood counter.

This is the recipe that I turn to for every meal train request. Whether it be the birth of a child or the passing of a loved one, everyone needs a warm hug in their belly sometimes. I like to serve this risotto for Christmas because it is red and green and even the pickiest eaters in our family come back for seconds.

After much trial and error, I have come to realize that the Italian culinary instructor was right. Risotto requires a combination of close attention (love) and space (time). My method is to get the rice to stick to the bottom of the pot each time before adding another cup of stock.

Good quality stock makes all the difference in this recipe. The time it takes to make homemade stock is well worth it. Show your limp celery, your sad carrots, and those forgotten onions some love by taking the time to make your own stock. Ask your local butcher for stock bones. Any extra stock can be frozen and saved for another meal.

Will you win Top Chef if you make this risotto? Most certainly not. Will you win over your hardest to please dinner guests? Very likely.

Spicy Sausage, Kale and Tomato Risotto

Recipe from Liz Menard. She calls for 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, but use less if your stock is already well-salted.

6 cups chicken or beef stock
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 bunch kale, leaves removed from stems and torn into small pieces
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
Few grinds of black pepper
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup shredded parmesan

Warm the stock in a pot on the stovetop and keep it at a slow simmer while you make the risotto.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large separate pot. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until brown. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon leaving the oil behind in the pot. Set the sausage aside in a bowl.

Cook the onions over medium heat in the fat the sausage left behind until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Arborio rice. Stir until translucent, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the wine. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced (2 to 3 minutes).

Once the wine has reduced, add the tomatoes with their juices and stir occasionally. Once the rice starts to stick to the bottom of the pot add 1 cup of warm stock. Repeat 2 more times adding 1 cup at a time. Add in the kale and stir.

Continue to add the warm stock 1 cup at a time while stirring occasionally. The rice should become thick and clumpy. After you have added all the stock, add back in the reserved sausage along with the salt, paprika, chili powder and black pepper.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and parmesan.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

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THE COOK, LIZ MENARD

“Every day I strive to make something. This desire for daily creation became ingrained in me as a studio art major. I was never a great artist but the ethos of being a ‘maker’ has stuck with me. My kitchen has now become my creative outlet.

“My wedding vows included a promise to my husband ‘for our good meals never to end.’  This promise is easy to keep living in Maine. My husband and I live in Brunswick with our two children aged 6 and 3. You can find us every Saturday at Brunswick’s incredible farmers market. We prioritize eating organic and local. Whatever we can’t find at the market, or if it is cost prohibitive, we source from the grocery store. For our health and for the planet we try to limit our meat consumption to two or three times per week.

“I am a mom, but I don’t let this define every meal that I cook. My kids are my toughest critics. An entire review is often based on the one bite that they are required to eat. What’s more important to me than winning their favor is for my children to know where their food comes from. Our children know our local farmers and artisans. They enjoy composting. They will eat tomatoes off the vine from our small garden if the deer haven’t gotten them first. Living in Maine with its exceptional food community makes this all possible.”

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