Yes, I know it had been over a month since I promised to give you the butternut squash risotto recipe we had at the lighthouse, but during that time I went to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver which was all that it was hyped up to be. If you are a beer drinker you really should try to go. It sells out very quickly so the best way to get tickets in to be a member of the American Homebrewer's Association. This was the first time we had been to Denver and it was really a treat. What a beautiful, compact very manageable city. And we were there just as the trees were hitting their most beautiful colors. Right after that we were in Las Vegas, another first for me. The first few days were for work but then we had a day and a half to play. It was 85 degrees and sunny, such a delight since the weather had just begun to turn in the Emerald City.
After all of the craziness of September and October, I was ready to just sit back, relax and spend some time at home trying to get caught up on studying and writing. You see I am taking both a creative writing class and an international law class. Both are three hours, at the University and make for some very long nights and weekends filled with writing and studying. When, you might ask, do I have time to cook. Well, I don't which is why I don't have time to post much either. But, I did promise the butternut squash risotto so it's time to deliver. Hey, it's still fall so plenty of time to have it, and it will serve well into winter too. So don't go fretting, ok? And anyway, this recipe was adapted from Epicurious, Gourmet, 1995 editions so if worse came to worst you really could have found it yourself. Now, enough scolding. This recipe is pure comfort food, so get to cooking ok?
Butternut Squash Risotto (adapted from Epicurious, Gourmet 1995)
- 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 small shallot chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Arborio or long-grain rice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Bake
squash in middle of oven, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned lightly, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a saucepan bring broth and water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.
In another saucepan cook shallot and garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in rice and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook,
stirring, until absorbed. Stir in 1/4 cup broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until about half of broth has been
added. Stir in diced squash and continue simmering and adding broth in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
OK it's a miserable picture but that gives you even more reason to go and try it yourself. It's really quite pretty and very tasty.
For those of you not in the know, this is old town Vegas. It's pretty different from the Vegas most people know these days. It's a little seedy, a little gritty but it was fun to see.
Until next time my dears!
