With the cool weather setting in and shortening of daylight, I am sure that this risotto will make your day. Time is well spent in the kitchen and being rewarded with this hearty dish i’m sure you will agree with me.
(The bought weight of the pumpkin was 0.620kg).
Poor over a little bit of boiling water to bring these guys back to life, remember to keep the water as you will use this when cooking the risotto.
I am not a mushroom lover, I think it has to do with the texture of the slimy little buggers however, I don’t mind the flavour sometimes and I think these porcini made this risotto. Never having bought fresh porcini before I am glad that I always seem to have some dried ones in the draw.
Let the onions cook in the oil and butter until they are translucent.
Check on your pumpkin every now and then and give them a little toss during cooking as you do not want them to burn or dry out (I gave them a little stir 3 time while they were cooking).
If you are looking for something to cook this weekend, that will make you feel cozy and your soul joyful the time over the stove is well worth it for this risotto.
(Recipe inspired from Jack Monroe – A Year in 120 Recipes)
Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 300 g risotto rice
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 400 g pumpkin peeled
- 5 thyme twigs
- 5 g dried porcini
- 50 g parmesan cheese grated
- 20 g butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Peel and roughly chop the pumpkin, discarding any seeds and place them in a roasting dish. Add the leaves from 3 of the thyme twigs and put the other 2 twigs in with the pumpkin. Poor over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 40 - 50min (giving them a stir every now and again).
- Put your porcini in a small bowl and poor over a little water just to cover them.
- In a large frying pan on a medium heat add the oil and butter, once the butter has melted add the peeled and finely dice onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. In a small saucepan bring the stock to the boil.
- Remove the porcini from the water, roughly chop them up and then add them to the onions, then add the rice, stir well so all the rice gets coated. When the ends of the rice start to become translucent poor over the water that the porcini were in and one ladleful of stock.
- Once all the liquid has been absorbed, add a little more liquid and stir repeat this until the rice is cooked. This could take between 16 - 18 minutes.
- Once you pumpkin is cooked remove the thyme twigs and gently squash about three quarters of it up.
- Once the rice is cooked add the squashed pumpkin and give a little stir, then add the parmesan (keeping a little to serve with) and some pepper and give another good stir. Check the seasoning and add the remaining pumpkin.
- Serve with a little bit of freshly ground black pepper and parmesan cheese on the top.