Risotto is an excellent go-to mid-week supper. Easy, comforting and not too demanding on the budget. Chorizo and tomato risotto is no exception. You don’t have to use chorizo; good quality spicy sausage (especially the Italian varieties) works well for this recipe. I leave the spice level to you.
Despite writing this mid-November, I was still able to use fresh tomatoes. The weather has been so warm in Greece; they are still delicious, but this is not the usual way of things. As an alternative, I would go for tinned cherry tomatoes. They are slightly sweeter, which works well with the chorizo and spices.
Florina Pepper Flakes, Smoked Paprika and Aleppo Pepper
This chorizo and tomato risotto is an excellent blend of Mediterranean produce: Spanish chorizo, Italian risotto rice, and Greek Florina pepper flakes (sweet red pepper flakes). I also added a little smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper from Syria. Delicious. The beauty of Aleppo pepper is its combination of mildly spicy but sweet/earthy taste – all at the same time. However, please use whatever you have in the cupboard to add a little oomph.
Method
Fry a very finely chopped large onion in olive oil; once golden and translucent, add garlic, chorizo and risotto rice. Toss in the oil for a couple of minutes, and then, when the rice looks translucent, add a glass of white wine. As soon as it evaporates, add the spices and tomato. Add chicken or vegetable stock (water is fine) cup by cup, letting the risotto almost dry in between. The risotto is ready when the rice is soft but still has a slight bite, and the sauce is creamy but still a little saucy. Stir in a generous handful of parmesan, check for seasoning and serve immediately, or it will become too sticky and dry.
Chorizo sausages and Italian spicy sausages come in all shapes and sizes – it doesn’t matter if it is a little smaller. There is also nothing worse than leftover ‘something’ lurking in the fridge, so if it is too big, maybe use the excess to decorate the risotto with some crispy fried chorizo.
And if you have any leftovers – risotto makes a delicious lunch dressed with vinegar and olive oil tossed into a green salad.
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Chorizo and Tomato Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 300 g risotto rice
- 100 – 120 g chorizo or spicy sausage
- 2 cloves finely grated garlic
- 1 glass white wine
- 2 large fresh tomatoes roughly chopped or tin 400g cherry tomatoes
- 1 tsp Florina pepper flakes (sweet chilli flakes)
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper or spicy pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley plus a little extra to serve
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp salt you may need to add more but wait until the end as the stock, sausage and parmesan will all affect the salt content
- 1 litre (approx) chicken/vegetable stock or 50/50 water and stock water is also fine
- large handful grated parmesan plus a little extra for serving
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Fry the onion in olive oil; once golden and translucent, add garlic, chorizo and risotto rice. Toss in the oil for a couple of minutes, and then, when the rice looks translucent, add a glass of white wine.
- Let the wine evaporate, and add the spices, parsley and tomato. Stir well. Add chicken or vegetable stock (water is fine) cup by cup, letting the risotto absorb most of the liquid before adding more.
- The risotto is ready when the rice is soft but still has a slight bite, and the sauce is creamy but still a little saucy. You don't need to use all the stock. Keep adding until you get the right consistency.
- Stir in a generous handful of parmesan and decorate with a little extra parsley, check for seasoning and serve immediately, or it will become too sticky and dry.
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