It’s all the about the meditative stirring, just the thing for the blustery holiday weekend coming up.
“Notes on risotto: Your finished risotto should be saucy, not overly thick, but not soupy either. Most risottos start with a sofrito of onion or shallot sweated in oil or butter, or both. You can also start with diced pancetta, or chorizo, rendering off the fat, before you add the onion or shallot. Your rice should always be stirred into the hot soffrito, so that it is nicely coated. Stock should be added a ladleful at a time, after you add the wine. It should be gently simmering as you add it. Risotto is usually finished with Parmesan and cold diced butter. A good risotto should be al dente—the rice should have a little bite. Remember that it will keep cooking as it rests. For a vegan alternative, omit the butter and substitute 1⁄4 cup white miso for the parmesan in the recipe.” –Kathryn Joel, Get Cooking.
| 2c | risotto (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano) rice |
| 8 c | stock, chicken or vegetable, or as needed |
| 1 glass | white wine |
| 2-3 T | olive oil |
| 2 | shallots, finely diced |
| 1½ c | winter squash (kabocha or hubbard) peeled, seeded and diced into ¼-inch pieces |
| 100 g | Parmesan cheese, grated |
| 50 g | unsalted butter, diced and chilled |
| small handful sage leaves, chopped |
Place the stock in a large pot and bring to a gentle simmer. In a separate pan, add oil, then add the shallots and cook until translucent, seasoning with salt. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the rice, squash and sage. Stir until well coated in oil, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Begin to add the hot stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring briskly until completely absorbed before adding more stock. Continue adding stock and stirring briskly and constantly, keeping the risotto at a simmering point, for 18-20 minutes until the rice is creamy and just al dente. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed (remember the cheese is salty too). Once the rice is al dente, stir in the cheese and cold butter, season to taste with salt and pepper. Your risotto should be loose and creamy and not too thick. Cover and remove from the heat. Rest for a couple of minutes, then serve in warm bowls, garnished with chopped sage.
Serves 4-6.