Really, there's little to do with Christmas here, other than the wonderful coloring of the dish, with its vibrant reds and greens. A nice, quick, and subtly-spicy southern dish that's just as good on a hot summer day as it is in the middle of December.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage
- 1 cup arborio rice, uncooked / dry
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 large shallot, sliced / chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, stems discarded
- 1 cup baby lima beans
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1 dash salt & pepper
- 3 large shrimp per dish
- cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pat of butter
- 1 dash minced garlic
- fresh-grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 white onion, cut into large sections
Instruction
- Start by getting those Baby Limas ready. Bring 5 Cups of water to a boil, adding 1/2 White Onion, salt and pepper to taste and the 1/2 Cup of White Wine. Stir in Baby Limas and cook until done - about 30 minutes.
- While the beans simmer, heat a large, deep saucepan using medium heat. Once ready, add Andouille Sausage sliced into quarter-sized, thin rounds.
- As the pieces begin to sizzle, stir in butter, shallots and garlic, careful not to overcook.
- When the shallots look translucent, add the uncooked, dry Arborino Rice and stir for a minute, allowing the hard rice to coat in the butter and sausage.
- Once it's nice and shiny, pour in a cup of chicken broth. If you don't have home made, try the low-sodium, canned variety available at any grocer. Cover the rice, but don't drown it.
- Add the thyme and bay leaves. Also, salt and pepper to taste. Depending on the spiciness of the sausage, you may want to add a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Continue to reduce the broth, and then replenish, until rice is soft and has a thickened consistency and buttery texture. Time here varies.
- Now, drain the Lima Beans (if you haven't already) and remove large union pieces, before stirring the beans into the risotto.
- Finish by mixing in a tablespoon (or so) of good drinking sherry and then dust with fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
- To top it off: Salt, Pepper, and sear three large shrimp, butterflied and deveined, crowning them tail-up on the risotto. Garnish with thyme sprig.