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1
Bring the precisely measured salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot wide enough to hold the rice in an even layer, so that every grain cooks in the same depth of water and absorbs at the same rate. Pour in all the Vialone Nano at once, distribute it level, and raise to a vigorous boil. When the water returns to the boil, the surface shows a steady, energetic agitation across the whole surface.
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2
Boil hard, uncovered, for exactly 4 minutes from the moment the full boil resumes, keeping the heat high so the water drives into the grain rather than sitting around it. At the end of 4 minutes the water is largely absorbed and small craters appear on the surface of the rice — the sign that free water is gone and steam is the only remaining moisture.
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3
Remove the pot from the heat immediately. Lay a clean linen cloth folded in quarters over the mouth of the pot, then set the lid on top to hold it, so the cloth pulls the rising steam away before it can condense and fall back as water onto the rice below. Leave undisturbed for 15 minutes; a metal lid alone allows that condensation to drip back and the grains become wet and sticky rather than dry and separate. This is where the dish lives or dies.
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4
While the rice steams, prick the salamella in several places so the fat is free to render without the casing bursting, then place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes each side until the casings are lightly coloured and the sausage is cooked through. The fat runs clear when the sausage is pressed.
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5
Remove the casings and crumble the sausage meat into coarse, uneven pieces, keeping the texture rough so the pieces stay distinct in the finished rice rather than dissolving into a paste. Return the pieces to the pan and toss briefly in the rendered fat for no more than 1 minute. The aroma is of cooked pork and pepper without any suggestion of browning or caramelisation.
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6
Uncover the rice — it should be dry, fully swollen, and each grain separate from its neighbour. Add the crumbled sausage and the butter directly to the pot and fold through with a wooden spoon using the minimum of strokes, so the grains stay whole rather than breaking into starch and clouding the fat. Taste for salt; the rice is ready when each grain is tender to the bite with no chalky centre, and the butter and sausage fat coat without pooling.