Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Gorgonzola Risotto

I enjoy the meditative process of making a risotto, one which I actually wrote about here. There is something calming about its preparation, indeed it is a labour of love but one that is always worth it. As Skye McAlpine aptly describes, “few foods [are] more comforting to eat, or more eloquently evoke everything that is good about winter”. This recipe is an adaptation of her pumpkin version and certainly embodies the goodness and indulgence of the season.

Ingredients

500g of arborio rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Small glass of white wine
Finely chopped sage leaves and stalks
1 butternut squash
1 medium sized sweet potato - diced and roasted in the oven for 45 mins at 180. salt pepper olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
Grating of nutmeg
200g of gorgonzola
Toasted pine nuts
1.5 litres of vegetable or chicken stock
100g butter + a bit extra for the brown butter

Method

01 Melt 3/4 of the butter and add the onion, leaving it to gently soften. Meanwhile, set the oven to 180 degrees whilst you prepare your squash and sweet potato. Cut the veg into roughly 1cm cubes before adding to a roasting tin with olive oil, salt and pepper and the whole cloves of garlic with the skin on. Roast in the oven for about 30 mins, removing the garlic and return to the oven for another 15 mins. Crush the garlic and add to the onions.

02 Add the rice to the pan allowing it to crisp momentarily before adding the wine and the zest and juice of a lemon. We used 500g of rice which made enough for six people. Give the pot a good stir and then ladle in the stock, little by little.

03 When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add another ladleful, stirring carefully so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. The rice should be tender, retaining a bit of bite.

04 Over a high heat with no oil toast the pine nuts until they start to turn golden, keep an eye on them as they catch pretty quickly. In a separate frying pan heat the remaining butter until it starts to brown, adding the sage leaves and frying until crisp.

05 Finally, add the roasted veg to the pan once it is ready and the shredded sage leaves, stirring so it combines with the rice. Turn down the heat and stir in the gorgonzola until all has melted into the rice and lastly add the browned butter sauce and mix thoroughly. Serve with a spritz of lemon.