BBQ’d Corn and Swiss Chard Risotto with Turkey Sausage is a great recipe that works with some leftovers and end of summer staples. It’s light and sweet and reminds me of these last summer days.
The BBQ corn is a nod to Indian summer, but the creamy hearty risotto feels like more of a fall staple. I like to keep some BBQ corn leftovers in the freezer, and the chard is still going strong these days in my garden. If you don’t have any chard on hand, feel free to substitute any fresh herbs or greens.
Risotto stands up well to almost any green and the sausage helps to add a tasty, rich finish. Risotto is one of those dishes that seems really complicated to make, but if you just keep an eye on the risotto as you add in liquid, it is actually really easy to make. You can flavour it with all sorts of ingredients, but I like mine plain and simple, topped with a little cheese at the end. Feel free to get a little creative with this recipe, you can add in almost anything (leftovers especially) and it’s almost guaranteed to taste wonderful.
serves 4
Ingredients
250g risotto
3 cups water
salt to taste
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsps olive oil
3 cobs of corn, cooked and BBQ’d
1 bunch swiss chard
3 turkey sausages
1/2 cup grated cheese (I like to use parmesan, but any strong cheese like cheddar or gruyere will work well too)
handful of parsley for garnish
Directions
Shear corn from the cob. Set aside. (I like to store any leftover corn in the freezer for this recipe. To prepare corn from scratch, boil for 7minutes. Then BBQ over high heat until lightly charred.)
Boil chard until tender and chop. Set aside.
In a large size saucepan, heat 1 tbsps olive oil.
Add rice and stir over medium heat, for about 2 minutes until rice is lightly toasted.
While rice is toasting, boil water.
Begin to add water, 1/3 cup at a time and mix until absorbed. Once absorbed, continue to add another 1/3 cup at time. Continue to add water and mix until rice is completely cooked, about 15-17 minutes or until tender and creamy. (You may need to add more water, keep some boiling water on hand just in case).
Add remaining olive oil and crushed garlic.
While rice is cooking, BBQ your sausages. I like to use turkey sausages to keep this recipe light, but feel free to use pork, chicken or beef as well. Once ready, slice sausages.
Rice should be fairly runny and creamy. Once it reaches this consistency and is tender with a little tooth, remove from heat immediately. Rice will continue to cook once removed from heat, so be careful not too overcook.
Stir in corn and chard.
Top with sausages and cheese.
Serve immediately!
RELATED: You Can Make This Unique Dish With Your Leftover Risotto
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