Risotto à la Bruxelles

Time for my first Belgian beer recipe. I'd been toying with this idea since I had a delicious Risotto outside of Milano, made with local Barbera wine. Why not a Risotto with beer?

the abovementioned delicious risotto

I immediately thought that a dark, sweet beer - something with absolutely no hops to embitter the risotto (that's right, embitter it) would do. And something easily available and cheap (in Belgium) - wouldn't want to waste a Westvlet 12º on rice. So Chimay Blue: the trappist beer (don't forget, «By monks, for monks» - but to answer a question posed by a reader, the money that is not used for brewery operations, that is, a majority of income, is used for «charitable work.») It's big - 9% - and dark, and caramelly, with dried fruits and some spices. I like nutmeg in my risotto, so I thought it would do nicely.

The hard decision made, I turned my thoughts on the other ingredients. The recipe pretty much wrote itself at that point: It wouldn't be «Risotto à la Bruxelles» without some choux de bruxelles, Brussels sprouts (ha!), and the cheese had to be gouda. And obviously to top it all off I needed some bacon. I'm not of the bacon-makes-everything-taste-better camp, believe me, but I am of the bacon-makes-some-things-usually-including-brussels-sprouts-taste-better camp.

Here's a recipe, but just know that I didn't follow this when I made it. I sautéed some arborio and onion in a stockpot, added some broth and beer, added the sprouts/bacon, added the cheese, added the nutmeg, a splash of cream, and ate it. If the proportions aren't exact, don't say I didn't warn you.

Risotto à la Bruxelles
serves 4ish

1 C broth
1/2 lb Brussels sprouts, chopped in half
1/4 lb lardons, or bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
2 C arborio rice
1 bottle Chimay Blue
1/4 lb gouda, grated
1 t nutmeg
1 splash, cream (mmm, optional)
Salt and pepper

Have broth in a pot on the stove, simmering.

Sauté the bacon until it smells like godlike transcendence, and add the sprouts. Cook until good and caramelized.

Sauté the onion in olive oil in a saucepan . Add the rice and sauté for a few minutes, until slightly translucent. Add broth until you can't see the bottom of the pan while stirring. Stir, stir, stir until you CAN see the bottom of the pan while stirring. Add half the bottle of beer, stir stir stir until you see the bottom. Add the other half and you know the drill. Taste the rice - if it's soft but still has a bit of bite it's perfect. Add the bacon and sprouts, then stir in the cheese, nutmeg, and cream, if you want to gild the lily. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Bon appétit.