You need some serious arm strength, patience and endurance when you’re cooking risotto. It’s a long process but the result is all worth it. The great thing about cooking risotto is that once you’ve mastered cooking the rice part of it, you can throw in just about anything and create a new meal. This is my guide to a simple but scrumptious risotto that even I can make.
Serves: 4 as a main, 8 as a starter
Suggested prep time: 10 mins (I took 10 mins just to peel the butternut with a steak knife)
Suggested cooking time: 40 mins (A good hour and a half or so for the beginner)
I threw in butternut and goat’s-milk cheese but you can add whatever you like.
Ingredients:
500g butternut, peeled and diced
Fresh sage leaves
3T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
A pinch of salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
Half a cup of dry white wine (optional but definitely recommended)
100g soft goat’s-milk cheese (Brand: Chevin)
Vegetable stock (I had none so I used chicken stock instead)
Milled salt and black pepper
25-30g butter, cut into pieces, for enriching
About 1/3 cup (85ml) freshly grated Italian Parmesan
Method:
Take out two pots, one big and one small.
In the small pot add your diced butternut, stock & a few sage leaves. Let this simmer while you turn your attention to the rice making. (Remember to keep the butternut warm while you wait for the risotto to cook).
Heat the oil in your bigger pot (large, wide and heavybottomed) and gently fry the onion with a pinch of salt until soft, but not browned. Add the garlic and rice, stirring constantly, until well coated.
Pour in a few ladles of hot stock and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Repeat, adding wine towards the end, until the rice is tender, swollen and creamy (not gritty).
Fold the warm butternut, crumbled goat’s-cheese and stock into the risotto. Season to taste, chuck in the bits of butter, cover tightly and leave for a good few minutes.
Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
