I wrote this recipe originally for my newspaper column so I thought I would share it here.  The title is a little long, but I like to mention all of the key components when naming a dish.

I’m a bit evangelical when it comes to Risotto. It is so versatile and can be used as a starter or main course; it can contain meat, seafood or vegetarian ingredients. If you haven’t had a good enough risotto to fall in love with the dish, then give this a try! and you too could say……mmmm! that’s a right mouthful.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a main course)
300 grams Arborio Rice
1 Large red onion roughly chopped
1100 ml Chicken or vegetable stock*
1 Large butternut squash
1sprig of fresh sage
90 grams Parmesan cheese (grated)
60 grams Parmesan curls
100 grams Unsalted butter cut into small pieces
200ml dry white wine
1/2 green chilli deseeded & finely diced
4 large cloves garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Peel and roughly cut up the butternut squash, setting aside the seeds.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto the squash, season with salt & pepper and roast in a hot oven 220 C for 30 minutes or until golden brown & tender, then set aside.
2. Put your chicken or vegetable stock onto heat, adding the sage and the garlic and simmer until tender and the sage and garlic flavours are infused into the stock then remove.
3. Melt 40 grams of butter in a thick bottomed saucepan adding the red onion, as soon as the butter has just melted.
4. On a medium heat cook the onion until it is translucent (about 5 minutes), stirring often with a wooden spoon or spatula.
5. Add your rice and continue to stir the mixture for a further 2-3 minutes to coat the rice with butter.
6. Pour in the white wine and cook until the wine has been absorbed into the rice, remember to keep occasionally stirring, then add the diced chili and turn the heat down to a medium heat.
7. Gradually add the hot stock 1-2 ladles at a time, letting the rice absorb most of the stock before adding more ….and don’t forget to stir often!
8. Rinse off the reserved butternut squash seeds separating any membrane from the seeds, then dry the seeds on paper towel, season with salt & black pepper. Roast in a moderately hot oven until golden brown.
9. After all the stock has been absorbed into the rice (20-25 min), turn the heat down. and stir in the roasted squash pieces.
10. Then gradually add the rest of the butter & Parmesan cheese, the risotto should be creamy quite runny consistency. The rice should be tender but still have a little bite to it.
11. Season with salt & pepper (if needed) and serve topping each portion with a few Parmesan curls & the toasted butternut squash seeds.

Chef’s Tips
Risotto is best served with a salad dressed with oil & balsamic vinegar, and, of course, a glass or 2 of crisp cold white wine. You can also deep fry a few extra sage leaves drain them on paper towels then sprinkle on each bowl of risotto. Deep frying sage leaves really mellows the flavour so give it a try, just make sure your frying oil is clean.

*Vegetarian
This also makes a great vegetarian risotto if you use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.

Don’t forget to visit my other blogs

Cheap & Easy Student Recipes-A great resource if you are a student or just learning how to cook.

Old Blog Posts– A growing archive of posts from my original food blog, which had 20,922,573 page views from its beginning in February 2006 until December 2015.

©Kevin Ashton 2006-2015