Parmesan Squash Risotto -Samuel

Hey! Sorry I haven't posted in over two months. I didn't stop cooking, but I'd decided that taking pictures of food wasn't worth it because I'm such an inept photographer that I have to take a dozen pictures before I get something mediocre. Who knows, maybe I'm starting to see that there's some use in pictures after all.

Ah, risotto. What I love and what I hate. I love it because I love rice-based dishes that are actually incorporated into the dish itself (not just smothered below a layer of sauce). I hate it because it's a fairly temperamental dish that keeps wanting attention. But this Parmesan Squash Risotto is perfect for winter because squashes are at their maximum flavor (and cheap!), and it's a hearty dish that warms you from the inside out. I do wish that I had pumpkin because the color of a ripe pumpkin is beautiful, but squashes are lovely as well.

Parmesan Squash Risotto
# of servings: 4
Cost: ~$8 ($2 a person!)
Time spent: ~1hr 40 min (1hr 10 min just to prep the squash!)
Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup Arborio Rice (for entree portion, 1 cup for appetizer)
• 1 medium shallot
• 4 cloves garlic
• ~2.5 cups chicken stock
• 1 medium size squash (I used one kabocha)
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach
• 2 tbs butter

 Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Start off by cutting your squashes in half. Season with salt and pepper and olive oil. You could choose to use some aromatics here but I like to put them in later in case the flavor is too strong. Roast for a good 60 minutes.

2. After you're done roasting, put your chicken stock in a pot and warm it up. The stock should be hot so the pan doesn't lose heat when we add it in. Also scoop out the flesh of the squash and blend it with a little bit of milk or cream. You'll get an amazing squash puree, but don't puree all of it. Keep a few chunks that you can add into your risotto for a chunky bite.

3. Dice your shallot (small dice) as well as your cloves of garlic. Sweat them off in the pan with some olive oil on a medium flame and make sure to season. DO NOT color them.

3. When your shallots are sweated, add in your arborio rice and saute them together for about a minute. You'll then pour one ladle of chicken stock in the pan until it just covers the rice, like you can see below. Continue to stir it, as it might start sticking on the bottom. The rice will absorb the stock fairly quickly, and you'll have to keep adding the stock as the rice absorbs it.

 4. You'll notice that arborio rice has tiny white dots in the middle of the rice. That is NOT supposed to disappear. If it does, you've overcooked it, and you'll probably have to use it for risotto balls or something. When you think that the rice is about 10 minutes away, add in a large ladle of your squash puree and mix it in. After five minutes, add in your chunks of squash that you didn't puree. Also add your parmesan and your spinach and keep stirring.

5. Now when you think it's about done, slice your butter thinly or into small chunks. Take your risotto pan off the heat and mix the butter in. You'll see that it makes the risotto incredibly creamy and gives it a nice shine.

That's it! Serve with some parmesan strips and fried sage leaves if you'd like. Trust me, it's delicious. You'll want to save it all for yourself instead of feeding it to others, but hopefully you won't. :)