Sardinian risotto

This risotto does not differ much in principle from the Spanish paella. Considering that Sardinia and Catalonia have many things in common, including some dialect, this is not so surprising. It is, however, very different from the northem  Italian risotto.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) risotto rice
• 75 g (3 oz) aged pecorino cheese, grated
• 40 g (1 1/2 oz) butter
• Ground black pepper

Ingredients for the ragù:

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) minced lean pork or veal
• 1 small glass red wine (preferably Sardinian Connonau)
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) chicken stock
• 200 g ( 7 oz) passata or chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp good saffron powder
• Salt

Preparation:

First make the ragù. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry gently until softened. Then add the minced meat and fry until brown. Stir in the wine, stock, passata or chopped tomatoes, soffron and some salt and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the ragù aside. For the risotto, heat the oil in the pan, add the rice and stir for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat to coat each grain with oil. Gradually add half the ragù and stir for 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the moisture level and add some hot water if necessary; the rice will absorb a lot of liquid. Add the rest of the ragù and stir for around 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked. The consistency should be quite loose. Stir in the grated cheese, butter and some pepper. Leave to rest for a few minutes and then serve.