Chorizo and sweet pea risotto



Breaking with my decision to avoid nitrates and nitrites (barring the occasional purchase of a pre-made deli sandwich or hot dog cart sausage), I decided to treat myself to a chorizo dish — in this case, a chorizo and sweet pea risotto.

The stock was an organic vegetable broth into which I added the last of a bottle of Smoke'in Apple wine and some saffron strands. A trip downtown last Thursday to the Fresh & Wild yielded their last box of carnaroli rice (looks like I'm going to have to go to St. Lawrence Market for my next bag of carnaroli). I chopped and sautéed an organic yellow onion and set it aside, then chopped and cooked pieces of chorizo (about a third of the total amount of sausage in a package) and set that aside. I cooked the risotto in the usual manner. Once the risotto was almost al denté, I added frozen peas, then the onion and chorizo and continued cooking until the texture was right.

I didn't add any salt since the broth and sausage seemed to have provided just the right amount. The risotto is lightly spicy and mildly acidic (probably due to the chorizo itself), but primarily showcases the sweetness of the peas. I was trying for the peas to really be the star of the dish, and not be overpowered by the sausage, so I'm pleased with the way it turned out!