Sausage Risotto

We typically make two batches of this recipe, one in each of the two brasiers.

10 quarts chicken or vegetable stock*

3/4 c. Vegetable Oil

2-5 pounds Sausage**

6 medium onions, finely chopped

12 cups arborio rice  (about 6 pounds)

4-6 cups grated parmigiano cheese

3/4 c. chopped parsley

Salt and black pepper, to taste.

1. Bring the water for the chicken stock to a boil.  Add chicken base and stir until there are no lumps.  Keep simmering.
2. Lightly brown sausage in brasiers.  Add the oil at this step if necessary. Remove sausage from brasier leaving oil (unless there is too copious and amount).
3. Add the onions and oil.  Cook until the onions soften.
4. Add rice.  Cook for a couple of more minutes.
5. Add a couple of ladels full of broth.  Stir until all of the liquid is absorbed.
6. Keep alternating adding ladels full of broth and stiring until the liquid is aborbed.  As this process continues the rice will puff up and for a thick sauce.  The act of continually stiring the rice causes the starch to form the creamy risotto sauce.  Keep doing this until the rice is very tender.  Use water if you need to add more liquid that you have stock (this is fairly common).
7. Once the rice is tender, add a little more liquid to thin the risotto and turn off the heat.
8. Add parmesan cheese and stir to integrate.
9. Add browned sausage and stir.
10. Taste for salt and pepper.
11. Garnish with parsley on top when you serve.

* I use chicken base from Cash and Carry. 1 Jar makes 20 quarts/5 gallons is enough to make the two batches.  Bring water to boil and stir in appropriate amount of chicken base until dissolved and no lumps remain.

** Smoked sausage works well.  Cut in half lengthwise and then slice into "half coins".  Just brown loose sausage if you use that instead.