As I write (28 March 2020) the coronavirus is gripping. My walk into Bath to shop yesterday was beautiful in terms of the weather, air and bird song but scary enough to put me off other forays for a while.
I have had my ‘Marie-Antoinette moment’. Thinking to cook Milanese risotto, I discovered that I had no saffron but did have a bag of saffron substitute, dried petals of the safflower (azafran) a thistle-like plant, that had been brought back from Turkey as a curiosity by a friend. Decided to make butternut squash risotto instead. Anna Del Conte is the queen of risotto recipes and this is based on her recipe for pumpkin risotto
350g prepared butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed and cut into small cubes)
4 shallots, skin removed and very finely chopped
1 litre chicken stock
40g unsalted butter plus extra knob
Sea salt
Small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
300g Arboria or other risotto rice
A few spoonfuls of double cream
Freshly grated black pepper
50g Parmesan cheese
Heat the butter in a large frying pan with a lid and add the shallots and a little salt. Cook gently for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add half the parsley and continue cooking and stirring.
Add the squash cubes and cook gently until they are just tender. This could take from 10 -20 minutes but do not rush. If the pan looks dry, add a little of the chicken stock.
Add the rice and stir it around for two minutes so that it is coated in the butter, Add half of the chicken stock, bring the liquid to ‘a lively boil’, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid.
Leave the pan for up to an hour before bringing back the risotto to simmering point. Add a knob of butter and a ladle of stock and continue cooking, adding more stock until the risotto is cooked. As Anna Del Conte notes this should be more liquid than other risottos. If the stock runs before the rice is cooked, add a little boiling water.
Add the cream and half the Parmesan. Season. Leave for a minute. Turn off the heat.
Give the risotto a good stir. Serve piled up with the remaining parsley sprinkled over and the extra Parmesan available in a dish on the table.