I always miss my husband…but I miss him even more when it’s time to de-seed a pomegranate. With a couple of ninja moves, he’s able to get every single seed out the whole fruit. No matter how hard I try, I make a huge mess and I splatter everything with red juice. It’s like a blood bath.
Yes, de-seeding a pomegranate is a pain for me. However, this fruit is so delicious and healthy, it’s totally worth the effort and it regularly makes it to my table each fall. I’m not sure how you like to eat it, but my new thing is to add it to a basic risotto with sausage. I love how the pomegranate brightens up the sausage heartiness and adds more textural interest to the whole dish.
When I have people over for dinner, this is one of my go-to dishes. The unexpected and winning combination of pomegranate and sausage never fails to surprise and delight everybody’s palate. My favorite part is to scatter the seeds on top at the end: they’re so shiny and bright they look like precious gems, making the presentation beautiful and sure to impress!
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
- 1½ cup + 2 Tbsp (320 g) Carnaroli rice (can sub with Arborio rice)
- ⅓ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 6.5 oz (185 g) pork sausage without fennel
- 1 lt vegetable stock
- ¾ cup of pomegranate seeds (divided)
- freshly ground pepper
- Bring vegetable stock to a boil and keep warm throughout the recipe.
- In a separate thick-bottomed large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chopped onion, and sauté until translucent, adding a bit of water to prevent the onion from burning.
- [Take note of the time - from this point on, it will take about 20 minutes to cook the risotto] Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. When it's cooked, add the rice. Toast it briefly, stirring frequently. Once the rice grains start to look shiny and semi-transparent, pour in a ladleful of stock. Let the rice absorb the liquid.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add another ladleful of stock. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step throughout the recipe, adding stock and stirring the rice often, letting it absorb the liquid slowly.
- Continue adding vegetable stock regularly, until the rice is plump and al dente. I usually stop adding liquid about 17 or 18 minutes in.
- When the rice is al dente and the liquid is mostly absorbed, remove pot from the heat and place it on a wide trivet. Add the butter and grated cheese. Stir vigorously and continuously for about a minute: this will help make your risotto creamy. If the risotto looks too dry, add another bit of broth and stir again. Taste-test and add a bit salt, if necessary. Sprinkle ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds and stir again. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Serve on a plate, grind some fresh pepper on top and sprinkle a nice amount of pomegranate seeds on top.
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