Roman grain risotto "Val di Cembra" with Lucanica sausage, corn kernels and white grapes

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• Olive oil for sautéing
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 1 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
• 200 g sausage (Lucanica – similar to Salsiccia), diced
• 1 ½ cup(s) spelt rice or regular spelt, see note in text
• n. B. White wine for pouring
• 250 g corn kernels
• n. B. Beef broth for pouring
• 50 g cheese (Trentingrana – similar to Parmesan), grated
• e.g. butter flakes
• some grapes (grapes), light, halved
• n. B. Seasonal herbs

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

A dish that might have been eaten in the region 2,000 years ago.

Dice the garlic and onion and sauté. Then add the spelt rice (a grain milled like rice) or regular spelt (not milled like rice, soaked overnight) and the diced Lucanica sausage and lightly toast everything. Finally, deglaze with white wine, then add the corn kernels and stir continuously until the liquid has reduced (the more often and more vigorously the ingredients are stirred over the hot pan with little or no liquid, without burning, the more toasted ingredients are created and the more flavorful the grain risotto becomes – that’s why people say the more you stir, the better the risotto becomes, but it’s really all about the toasted ingredients). Then, with a ladle, add a little vegetable stock and reduce, stirring constantly, until the spelt rice or spelt has the consistency you like best. When the grains have reached the desired consistency, remove the grain risotto from the heat. Stir in grated cheese, butter flakes, and grape halves, season to taste, and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. This will make the grain risotto creamier. Finally, arrange the dish on the plate, garnish with fresh seasonal herbs to taste, and serve. Serve with the remaining white wine. This is a dish that might have been eaten 2,000 years ago in the Val di Cembra, in the Trentino section of the Via Claudia Augusta, the first road across the Alps connecting Europe.