Butternut squash risotto with parmesan shavings
Last week we deviated from the plan. The “rice dish” for last week was intended to be a Thai curry with vegetables, but unexpectedly, the desire for more curry dissipated during the week. This turn of events was rather serendipitous though, for it forced me to consider the realm of rice dishes beyond the stir-fry model. When we plan meals for the week we almost always include a meal with rice. This whole time I had forgotten the risotto option. It is possible that this act of forgetting was Freudian at best, since I had bad experiences with risotto in the past.
As far as I understand and have experienced, risotto is a daunting task; and as I hope to share today, it is time consuming but also worth the work. If you do not know this, risotto is an Italian rice dish. Unlike any other ‘rice dish,’ risotto requires a specific cooking method – more than just adding water and waiting. First off, a dish of risotto uses arborio rice, not brown or white or black rice. Arborio is a short-grained white rice grown in Italy (originally.) Almost all risotto recipes you might find also include another vegetable, meat or mushroom to add flavor and texture. For the meal I made, butternut squash played the leading role. As I explain the method I will use the meal I made as example.
I began with 1 3lb butternut squash, which was twice the size necessary because I wanted to double the recipe. The squash was sliced in half lengthwise and one half was completely peeled and diced. The other side was left in tact, dressed in olive oil and laid next to the cubed pieces.
Thanks to the assistance of a horizontal peeler, the processing time was cut in half.
While the squash roasted in the oven, I had time to prep the remaining ingredients. Every risotto recipe I have seen uses 4 main ingredients – arborio rice, onion, stock and white wine. I often see butter as the fat to cook with but I’m not certain it is a risotto staple. For this recipe I also had garlic and ginger to spice it up a bit.
Sliced, diced and minced.
Once all the knife work was complete I could begin the actual cooking.
The first step includes melting butter in a pot and then adding the onion, garlic and ginger. This cooked until softened and took maybe 10 minutes. I would like to add that meals like this make me realize that butter is magical, and is way under appreciated in our modern ways. I’m not sure if butter is always used for risotto; but I have learned that the rice must first cook in the fat before any liquid is introduced. Once the grains are added to the pot, they are stirred and cooked for about a minute.
The star of the show!
Now another important trick to making risotto is the stock. All the while the squash has roasted and the onions, ginger and garlic softened, there is a pot of chicken stock (though it could very well be vegetable stock too) barely simmering on an adjacent burner. Once the rice is added and covered with fat, you add some white wine and cook until evaporated. Then, the real time consumption begins. Once the wine has evaporated, you add stock a little bit at a time and stir constantly so that the liquid is fully absorbed. It is here where the real risotto is distinguished from the crummy stuff.
In the past I did not respect this process, and I think it is important to let all the liquid diminish after each addition. While the stock is stirred with the rice, the hot liquid removes the starchy shell of the rice and results with a creamy texture. It takes roughly 18 minutes to add just enough liquid and cook it through over the course of multiple additions. Once the stock has been completely incorporated, the vegetable is ready to join the party.
While adding stock and stirring the risotto, make sure to move the spoon all over. The risotto can not get burnt nor stick to the pan, all the while the liquid must be equally distributed.
Throughout the cooking process, taste the rice to determine its doneness. Risotto grains are to be served al dente, providing just enough resistance to each bite.
As you can see to the right, the squash is mixed into the rice mixture. At this point you can also add some parmesan cheese and salt to taste.
When you serve the risotto use a flat plate, making sure that no liquid is there to ruin the presentation nor the final taste of the dish. In the case of this meal, the parmesan shavings were an excellent aesthetic touch and really finished the flavor of the meal.
Even though this meal required some standing time and lots of stirring motions, the result is a rich and satisfying meal with plenty of leftovers!
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