Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage
Recipe and Photography by Emma Cantlay
Personally, I think risotto might be the ultimate comfort food. Like a savoury rice pudding, cooked slowly, absorbing every last drop of love poured into it throughout the cooking process. as the darker evenings draw in, NATURALLY, I turn to my favourite dish. To celebrate october, I choose a pumpkin risotto. The soft rice and fluffy roasted pumpkin are perfectly set off by the crispy, salty sage leaves that adorne it.
Ingredients
Serves 2 - 3 people
1 small pumpkin
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
A handful of sage leaves (around 12-15)
200g of risotto rice
1 stock cube
A splash of white wine (optional)
A knob of butter (roughly 40g)
Oil for roasting
Seasoning
Instructions
Preheat oven to 200C.
Melt half of the knob of butter along with a splash of oil in a wide based pan (preferably one that has a lid)
Add the onions to the pan and start to soften, after a couple of minutes, add the garlic and leave to soften for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the pumpkin into thin wedges.
In a separate pan, add around half the chopped pumpkin, a stock cube and a couple of leaves of sage and a litre of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce down to a simmer.
Once the onions are softened, add the rice. Cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
After a couple of minutes, the rice should start to turn slightly translucent at the ends. Add a splash of wine (if using) and wait for it to cook off. Making sure to stir all the time to stop the risotto from sticking. Season well.
Gradually add a little of the pumpkin stock, a ladleful at a time. Waiting for the rice to absorb the stock before adding in the next ladleful.
Place the remaining pumpkin on a baking tray with a handful of sage leaves, drizzle with olive oil and season. The pumpkin will need anywhere between 15-25 minute in the oven (depending on how thick the walls of the pumpkin is)
The risotto should be fully cooked when all the stock is used up. Taste the rice as you’re cooking as you may not need all of the stock. The rice should be soft.
Discard the sage leaves from the stock pan and mash the boiled pumpkin. Add this to the rice and stir through until it is fully incorporated. Turn off the heat and add the remaining small knob of butter to the pan, replace the lid and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven. Serve the risotto in bowels topped with the roasted pumpkin and the crispy sage leaves.
