Pumpkin and sage risotto
INGREDIENTS
1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock
pinch of saffron
1.3kg jap pumpkin, skin removed, deseeded and cut into thin wedges
4 anchovies
½ teaspoon sea salt
2/3; cup (160ml) olive oil
40g butter
2 cups arborio rice
40g butter
½ cup white wine
1 bunch of sage leaves, picked and dry
salt and pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan (optional)
METHOD
Preheat oven 200°C (180°C fan forced).
Combine stock and saffron in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low so that the stock keeps hot but does not boil.
Arrange pumpkin wedges on a large lined baking tray. Mash anchovies with the salt in a small bowl and combine with oil; drizzle over pumpkin and bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until pumpkin is golden.
Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-based pan on a medium-high heat; melt butter and add rice, stirring until rice is well coated with butter. Add wine and cook stirring, until wine evaporates.
Add 1 cup of stock to rice at a time stirring continuously until rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Continue to add the stock until it has all been absorbed by the rice and the rice is just cooked. You may need to add a little water if the rice is not quite cooked enough.
Remove pumpkin from the oven and scatter sage leaves over the pumpkin pan and return to the oven for 3-4 minutes.
Set the sage aside and roughly chop the cooked pumpkin, stir through the finished risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve risotto topped with crispy sage leaves, parmesan if using and remaining pan juices from when you cooked the pumpkin.
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