Bacon & Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Lightly coat the cubed squash with oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are tender. Once done, remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before mashing. Don't worry if the mash isn't completely smooth; having some squash chunks adds texture. Alternatively, for a smoother risotto, you can boil or steam the squash cubes and mash them until smooth.
In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft but not browned. Add the rice and wine then stir well. Keep cooking and stirring frequently for another 2-3 minutes until the rice becomes glossy but not browned.
Pour a ladle of stock into the rice mixture and stir well. To achieve a creamy risotto, it's important to add warm stock one ladle at a time, allowing the rice to cook evenly. Keep adding ladles of stock gradually, ensuring each spoonful is mostly absorbed before adding the next. Stir the risotto frequently to release the starch and enhance its creaminess.
Once half of the stock has been added into the rice, stir in the mashed butternut and let it cook together with the rice. Continue adding the remaining stock gradually. The cooked risotto should be creamy yet slightly firm, resembling pasta cooked al dente.
In a small frying pan, cook the bacon until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and let it cool on a paper towel. Once it has cooled down, roughly chop the bacon.
Heat the skillet with the bacon fat over medium heat, then add the sage leaves. The sage leaves will crisp up and brown in about a minute. Once they are fragrant and have a light, crispy texture, remove them immediately from the heat and let them cool.
Once the risotto has cooked through, or for approximately 40 minutes, take it off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until it's melted and well combined. Season with salt and pepper to your taste preferences.
Serve right away, topped with some chopped bacon and crispy sage leaves for added flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Lightly coat the cubed squash with oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are tender. Once done, remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before mashing. Don't worry if the mash isn't completely smooth; having some squash chunks adds texture. Alternatively, for a smoother risotto, you can boil or steam the squash cubes and mash them until smooth.
In a medium-large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook, stirring often, until they are soft but not browned. Add the rice and wine then stir well. Keep cooking and stirring frequently for another 2-3 minutes until the rice becomes glossy but not browned.
Pour a ladle of stock into the rice mixture and stir well. To achieve a creamy risotto, it's important to add warm stock one ladle at a time, allowing the rice to cook evenly. Keep adding ladles of stock gradually, ensuring each spoonful is mostly absorbed before adding the next. Stir the risotto frequently to release the starch and enhance its creaminess.
Once half of the stock has been added into the rice, stir in the mashed butternut and let it cook together with the rice. Continue adding the remaining stock gradually. The cooked risotto should be creamy yet slightly firm, resembling pasta cooked al dente.
In a small frying pan, cook the bacon until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and let it cool on a paper towel. Once it has cooled down, roughly chop the bacon.
Heat the skillet with the bacon fat over medium heat, then add the sage leaves. The sage leaves will crisp up and brown in about a minute. Once they are fragrant and have a light, crispy texture, remove them immediately from the heat and let them cool.
Once the risotto has cooked through, or for approximately 40 minutes, take it off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until it's melted and well combined. Season with salt and pepper to your taste preferences.
Serve right away, topped with some chopped bacon and crispy sage leaves for added flavor and texture.