If you’ve ever had a good risotto, you’ll know that it can be one of the greatest dishes on the face of the earth. If you’ve ever tried to make risotto, you’ll know it’s one of the toughest things to make well. If you’re still a little shaky in the kitchen, you might want to skip this one and go back to reading the sex column. But if you’ve been able to take everything I’ve thrown at you so far and feel up to the challenge, then you’ll find your efforts handsomely rewarded.
The two most common mistakes in making risotto are burning the rice when you sautée it and adding too much broth too fast. If you just take your time and keep stirring, everything will be OK.
The recipe this week is meant for a nice, crisp fall day. It has all those warm spices that are perfect for the season: the butternut squash adds a sweet velvety component and the arugula adds a nice peppery finish. That being said, there are a million variations and as long as you keep that ratio of three parts broth to one part rice, you’ll be able to make risotto any way you want it.
Butternut Squash Risotto with Fresh Arugula
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
6-7 leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 small yellow onion, diced very fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 1/3 cups Arborio* rice
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock or broth
1 bunch arugula, well rinsed and roughly chopped
For this recipe, you absolutely must use Arborio rice or it won’t be risotto.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the squash with the oil, sugar and spices and spread the pieces on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast the squash for about 20 minutes, using a spatula to stir and flip the pieces every five to 10 minutes. When they are done they will be fairly dark brown (like molasses) and they should almost melt in your mouth. Turn off the oven and crack the door, but leave the squash inside so it stays warm.
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat the stock in a separate pan over high heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions, garlic and a dash of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Turn the heat down to low on the stock when it starts to boil. When the onions are completely translucent, add the rice and lower the heat just a little bit. Be sure to keep the rice from getting stuck to the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring.
When the rice starts to get translucent (almost quartz-colored), add about a 1/2 cup of stock. Keep stirring. When all of the broth has absorbed into the rice, add another 1/2 cup. Keep stirring. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been added. Add the arugula one handful at a time, letting it wilt into the rice. Taste the rice and add salt and pepper as needed. If the rice still tastes a little starchy, add a little bit of water and cook for another minute. When the rice is tender, remove it from the heat, stir in the squash and serve immediately.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
