pumpkin and apple risotto
rating:
225g/8oz butternut squash/pumpkin flesh
1 cooking apple
120ml/4fl oz/0.5 cup water
25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter
25ml/ 1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped finely
1 clove garlic, crushed
275g/10oz/1.5 cups risotto rice
175ml/6fl oz/0.75 cup fruity wine
900ml-1litre/1.5-1.75 pints/3.75-4 cups vegetable stock
sprinkle some chopped flat leaf parsley on at the end if you have it - if not, don't worry!
cut the squash/pumpkin into small pieces. Peel, core, and chop the apple up and put in a pan with the squash. Add the water and bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the squash is very tender.
drain, put back in pan and add half the butter. Mash roughly with a fork leaving the mixture without big lumps but chunky.
heat the oil and remaining butter in a pan and fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Tip in the rice and cook over a constant heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
add the wine and stir. When all the liquid has been absorbed add the stock a ladleful at a time (make sure the stock is hot too). Make sure all of the previous ladleful has been absorbed before you add the next.
when roughly two ladlefuls of stock are left, add the pumpkin and apple mixture with the penultimate ladle of stock.
stir until creamy, grate the parmesan cheese in and serve immediately.
I had a similar idea risotto at a restaurant recently - butternut squash and feta risotto with tiny shards of fresh sage in it and topped with parmesan shavings. And very nice it was too!