Baked Green Chile Chicken and Sausage Risotto

Photo: Lisa Fountain

Ingredients

2 chicken leg/thigh quarters (about 8- 10 oz each)

2 links sweet Italian sausage

6 cloves garlic

EVOO

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 large can (24 oz) whole tomatoes in juice

3 oz can green chiles

shredded cheddar/jack cheese

Preparation

My two plump chicken legs with their succulent, zaftig thighs, and my two florid sausages, ready to be set free. I start with the birds, shaking them down with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Then laying them, skin-side down, into my hot large skillet, sizzling with a few glugs of hot EVOO.

I sauté them until the skin is crispy, then flip them…

And sizzle them, skin-side up, for about 3-5 minutes before removing them from the pan and setting aside for a few minutes.

I’ve crushed up a handful of garlic cloves, skin them, and chuck them in the hot oil left in my pan…

Along with my skinned sweet sausage meat, which I crush and split and abuse into the sizzling oil, mixing everything well.

I sauté everything nicely, stirring well…

At this point, I mistakenly add about 1/2 cup of white wine. I should have added the rice first, stirred to toast, then added the wine — but I messed up. So, I make the best of it by deglazing the pan with the wine – scraping up all the beautiful fond – and reducing the liquids to a thick glaze…

Before adding my rice then, stirring to coat and toast well. My screw-up didn’t ultimately affect the deliciousness of the meal, so all was well.

My pantry ingredients begin with two cans: 28 oz of whole, salted, with juice plum tomatoes, and 3 oz of diced green chile.

I add the chiles first, stirring well, and cooking for about 3-5 minutes over medium heat.

Then I add my tomatoes, and all their juice, crushing them into my rice/sausage/chile mixture. I simmer this blend for 5-8 minutes over medium heat, stirring well. I then add 1 tbs (or so, depending upon taste) of my special Indian curry chili powder, lots of black pepper, and a dash of sea salt.

Finally, I add enough chicken stock — about 2 cups — to cover all my ingredients. Arborio rice is usually stirred constantly, with the slow addition of hot stock, in order to make creamy risotto. I’m going to stir this very well indeed, but then I’m going to let it absorb into itself all on its own. You’ll see…

I set my lovely legs into this red hot tub of flavor, cover, then set into a 400° oven to bake for 20 minutes. After that time, I remove the cover, crank up the heat to broil, and finish off for another 10 minutes…

Until almost all the liquids have been absorbed, the skin has crisped and browned, and the edges of the casserole are delightfully caramelized.

Perfectly spiced, rich with tomato, absolutely al dente risotto studded with sweet, savory sausage, and topped with a plump, juicy, crisp-skinned quarter chicken. Served with a dollop of cooling sour cream and a nest of shredded cheddar jack cheese, this steaming hot meal feeds my senses with red juiciness, chicken richness, and creamy cheesy gastronomic goodness. Chicken and rice never tasted so good.