I love risotto. It's very versatile. The same basic recipe can be adapted into 20 different kinds of risotto. I've recently started to like butternut squash. It's so bright, funny shaped and soft.
This is the basic recipe I used and the squash and chorizo part is a combination of two different recipes from Delicious magazine.
Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)
1 Large onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 butternut squash (or if you're lazy like me a bag of already cubed squash)
2 cups Arborio rice
1 Chorizo sausage
1 cup white wine
2 litres chicken or vegetable stock (I used 4 chicken cubes with boiling water)
Seasoning, Ground Pepper and dried or fresh Italian herbs
Fresh Parmesan cheese
1. Dice the squash into cubes (or open the bag), chop the onion and garlic cloves finely, put stock cubes in a large jug, add boiling water and stir. In a large saucepan add the stock and squash cubes and boil for 10 minutes (or until the squash is soft).
2. Once the squash is soft carefully transfer the contents of the saucepan into a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds.
Not all the stock fit so I left some in the jug. This is a squash stock that will slowly be stirred into the risotto shortly. Pour the squash stock back into the jug and stir one more time.
3. Lightly cook the chorizo slices in a pan and set aside in a bowl.
5. Add the rice and stir for a minute and then add the white wine. Once that is absorbed add the squash stock 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly, add another 1/2 cup once the first 1/2 cup has been absorbed.
After a few half cups have been added and absorbed I like to add 1 cup of stock and then cover the pot for 5 minutes. Don't cover for longer than 5 minutes. The rice will stick to the bottom of the pan.
The steam helps the risotto get soft. Keep adding the stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring (and occasionally covering if you find that the rice is still hard and you're running out of stock) until the risotto is soft. This process should take approximately 35-45 (different types of stove tops will vary).
6. Add the seasoning (I used dried Italian herbs) and fresh parmesan if you want cheese in the risotto (I had to keep mine dairy free so I didn't add any). Stir in the chorizo slices and serve with garlic bread or other Italian bread of your choice.
Remember to stir the pot often and keep it on a low heat (On the electric stove top I use a heat of 3).
7 Add fresh or grated parmesan on top (I used Soy Parmesan from Whole Foods). Top with additional black pepper
Tips for Leftovers
Leave a small amount of stick unabsorbed but make sure the risotto is still soft enough to eat. This method is good if you plan on having leftovers or if you want to dip your bread in something. When it heats in the microwave there is a small amount of stock to keep the risotto moist. If you want the risotto to be to have a small amount of stock left simmer for about 5-10 minutes less. Variations
Instead of blending the squash with the stock. Make chicken or vegetable stock and pour this in 1/2 cup at a time. Squash can be boiled in water for 5 minutes until soft and the cubes stirred in right at the end with the chorizo. Different vegetables can also be used. Mushrooms and grilled asparagus are excellent additions to risotto!
