Trying NaBloPoMo during the shortest month of the year. Cop out? Maybe. Touch realistic? ‘Fraid so.
There’s a LOT going on around here lately – one of which you can plainly see in your browser window. Devour this is moving from Typepad to Wordpress. It’s been a long time coming, overdue in fact, and it will be arduous. Kind of like dicing butternut squash.
While prepping a cozy State of the Union address meal last week, I listened to Spilled Milk, a new podcast co-hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Molly Wizenberg of Orangette. She and co-host Matthew Amster-Burton happened to be discussing winter squash. I stopped what I was doing to gain wisdom about the best method to peel and cut up a butternut squash. Unfortunately, none of their methods (separating neck from bulbous portion, using a vegetable peeler, etc.) have worked for me in the past so I went with the old tried-and-true: stabbing the sucker a few times with a sharp pointed knife and microwaving the beautiful beast-in-disguise for a few minutes to allow it to soften up. Jeff’s mother taught me this trick and it works better than anything else I’ve tried. I’m sure a sharper knife would help, but that’ll have to wait ’til registry time (yes, wedding registry! ‘Told you a lot’s going on ’round here).
Even after nuking it, I still managed to re-injure my weak wrist while dicing this thing. I’d originally hurt myself falling, I mean snowboarding in Vermont the previous weekend. Carpal tunnel has nothing on butternut squash wrist. However, the diced squash turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. This recipe from Mark Peel’s New Classic Family Dinners (my new favorite cookbook, much more to come about this) instructs you to dice, then caramelize the squash and add it to the risotto just before serving. Other squash risottos I’ve had showcase the squash in mushier terms; it depends on what you like, but I was happy with the chunks of sweet vegetables mixing with the creamy rice.
I have so much Arborio and Caranoli rice left over from the Risotto Challenge that I’ll be making risotto for years to come. And I’m quite okay with that.
Perfect Butternut Squash Risotto
adapted from New Classic Family Dinners
Serves 4
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1-1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, 1 minced, 3 sliced
2 teaspoons slivered fresh sage leaves
7 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio or Caranoli rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion or shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Heat the butter and saute the squash for about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring carefully. Add 1 tsp salt, the minced garlic clove, and the sage. Stir together for one minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, have the stock simmering in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the rice and 1 tsp salt. Stir constantly until the rice begins to smell popcorny, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sliced garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add the wine and stir until it’s all absorbed by the rice. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Begin ladling in the simmering stock, one scant ladleful at a time. Stir until just absorbed, then add another scant ladleful. Stir often (almost constantly) and continue to add stock when most of the previous ladleful has disappeared.
5. After about 25-30 minutes, the rice will be cooked al dente, with just a barely noticeable bite in the center and the broth will be super creamy. Stir in the squash, then taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Remove from heat, add a last ladleful of stock, and stir in the freshly ground pepper, cheese, and the parsley. Devour immediately.