Hoppin' John Risotto with Collard Pesto

Lunch

Ingredients

4 to 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
12 ounces sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
1 cup chopped onion, from about 1/2 large onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, from about 1/2 large pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery, from about 2 large stalks
1 1/2 cups Arborio, Carnaroli, or Carolina Gold rice (10 ounces)
1 1/2 cups cooked field peas, such as black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Collard Pesto, for serving (recipe follows)

Method

Bring the stock just to a simmer in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Remove the casings from the sausage links. Break the meat into marble-sized pieces, like little meatballs. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. (If you happen to have particularly lean sausage, add more olive oil to make up the difference.)

Heat the fat over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat each grain in the fat. Cook, stirring slowly and continuously, until the outside of each grain is shiny and translucent with a tiny white dot in the center, about 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, Add 1 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring slowly and steadily, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring all the while and letting the rice nearly absorb the stock before adding more. When done, the rice should be tender, yet a little firm in the center of each grain (like pasta al dente). The rice should be suspended in thick, creamy sauce. You might not need all of the stock. The entire process should take about 25 minutes.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the peas, sausage, butter, parsley, and cheese. Check the seasoning, but the sausage probably contains all the salt and pepper the risotto needs. Serve at once, topped with a sprinkling of cheese and a generous spoonful of Collard Pesto.

Collard Pesto

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

10 ounces small, tender, fresh collards
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
2 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Big pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

Method

Strip the collard leaves off the stems and tough inner ribs. Coarsely chop the leaves; you should have about 5 lightly packed cups. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the collards and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain them in a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain well and transfer into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.

Add the garlic, olives, tomatoes, pecans, cheese, and vinegar and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the pesto is smooth and thick. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Serve at room temperature.