PUMPKIN RISOTTO w/PEAS & SPICY PUMPKIN SEEDS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 6 oz. unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 quart of chicken stock
• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 shallot (chopped fine)
• 16 oz. pumpkin puree
• 1 1/3 cups risotto rice
• 3/4 cup peas (can use frozen)
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese grated fine
• 3 Tbls. Pumpkin seeds
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh sage (garnish)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from whatscook.in

Preparation

Step 1

To cook the peas, prepare an ice bath and pour the chicken stock and one cup of water into a pot and bring to a simmer. Pour the peas into the simmering chicken stock and allow them to heat through for four minutes. Then remove them from the pot and place into the ice bath for two minutes before removing them to reserve for later use. Lastly, whisk (10 oz.) of the pumpkin puree into the warm stock and set aside for when you are ready to cook the risotto.

In a sauté pan over a medium-low flame, melt two ounces of butter. Once the butter has melted and come up to temperature, add the pumpkin seeds, cayenne pepper and a hefty pinch of salt. Raise the flame to medium and toss the pumpkin seeds in the butter and pepper mixture. Once the seeds have toasted, pour them into a bowl and keep them in a warm location until ready to use.

When you are ready to make the risotto, place a medium size pan over a medium-low flame. Add two ounces of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots, a pinch of salt and allow the shallots to sweat. When the shallots have sweated and begun to turn translucent, add the rice and stir to coat the rice in butter (if the mixture looks too dry, you can add a little more butter before adding the rice). Raise the flame to medium and continue to stir vigorously for about one to two minutes. However, do not allow the rice or shallots to take on any color. Add the wine and stir it into the rice until it cooks off. Return the flame to medium-low and add the last half (6 oz.) of pumpkin puree and the cinnamon. Stir to combine completely and add your first ladle full of stock.

At this time, the risotto should take anywhere between 17 and 19 minutes to finish, and throughout that time you should be stirring regularly. After adding the ladle of the stock and pumpkin mixture, stir the rice slowly but regularly. Be careful with heat management with this recipe, because the pumpkin puree can burn if not stirred regularly up from the bottom of the pan. As soon as the first ladle of stock has absorbed or evaporated, add another ladle full. Continue like this for 10 – 12 minutes and add a good pinch of salt to the rice. Add more stock and continue to stir. As you approach 16 minutes of cooking time, taste the rice to test the degree of doneness, all the while continuing with the process of adding stock and stirring. At 17 minutes, add the peas, stir in completely and taste again for doneness.

When the rice is done (al dente), add the Parigiano Reggiano cheese and last two ounces of butter. Stir to combine completely and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. (Seasoning is what really brings out the pumpkin flavor in this recipe. Without it, it will seem bland.) If the rice seems too thick, add a little more stock to loosen it up.

Plate the risotto into warmed bowls and top with the toasted pumpkin seeds and a rough chop of sage leaves. Serve.