Chefs' Recipes

Jacques Reymond's snail and smoked sausage risotto with walnuts and Comté

Australian Gourmet Traveller French recipe for snail and smoked sausage risotto with walnuts and Comté by Jacques Reymond.

By Jacques Reymond
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 40 mins cooking
  • Serves 6
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Jacques Reymond: Snail and smoked sausage risotto with walnuts and Comté
"Smoked sausage called saucisse de Morteau is a speciality of the high Jura, while snails are abundant because of the greenery throughout the region."

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 300 gm arborio rice
  • 100 ml dry white wine
  • 800 ml hot chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp pouring cream, whipped to soft peaks
  • 2 tbsp walnut oil
  • 30 gm butter, coarsely chopped
  • 2 small smoked sausages, thinly sliced
  • 230 gm canned snails, drained (see note)
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp coarsely crushed walnut halves
  • 100 gm Gruyère de Comté, shaved
  • 2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Mushroom foam
  • 30 gm butter, coarsely chopped
  • 200 gm button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 150 ml pouring cream

Method

Main
  • 1
    Heat olive oil in a casserole over medium heat, add onion, sweat until tender (4-5 minutes). Add rice, stir to coat for 1-2 minutes, add wine, reduce by one-third (2-3 minutes). Add stock a ladleful at a time, stirring until stock is absorbed before adding more, stir continuously until rice is al dente and stock is absorbed (20-25 minutes). Remove from heat, add whipped cream to pan without stirring, cover with lid and set aside.
  • 2
    Heat walnut oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming, add sausage, snails and garlic, season to taste, stir occasionally until sausage is golden(4-5 minutes), set aside.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, for mushroom foam, heat butter in a large frying pan over low heat, add mushrooms, sauté until tender but not coloured (5-6 minutes). Add 300ml water, season to taste, simmer until infused (4-5 minutes), strain into a clean pan. Add cream, bring to the simmer, process with a stick blender until foamy, keep warm.
  • 4
    Fold cream through risotto, and serve with sausage and snail mixture spooned over, scattered with walnuts, cheese and parsley, with mushroom foam passed separately.

Notes

Note Canned snails are available from select delicatessens. This recipe is from the July 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.