Pumpkin Risotto with Burnt Butter, Sage, Chorizo and Parmesan

People never recommend cooking on a first date. Keep that for another date they say... Did I hear that right??!! Hahaha.

Clearly I did not listen. I invited my date over for dinner, made them this and a month and a half later I am now cooking them all the three meals in the day during lockdown! I guess this recipe is a keeper then.

Trust me, this recipe is not hard to make at all!

Pumpkin Risotto with Burnt Butter, Sage, Chorizo and Parmesan

Easy enough to bag anyone!

Prep time : 15 mins

Cook time : 40 mins

Servings : 4 people

Ingredients

500gms of butternut pumpkin (cut into roughly 0.5 cm cubes)

1 1/4 cup Arborio rice

2/3 cup white wine (your favourite wine)

4 tbsp cup olive oil

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 medium brown onion (chopped)

2 chorizos (peeled and chopped)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp smokey paprika

1/2 cup butter

20-30 fresh sage leaves

1/4 cup pepita seeds

1/2 cup sharp parmesan (grated)

1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Prepare your pumpkin by deseeding and peeling the skin, cut them small so it cooks evenly when you add it into your rice mix. Check notes.

2. Melt the butter in a small pan on low heat, add your sage leaves and fry it until leaves are crispy and the butter goes slightly brown. Drain the butter through a sieve into a bowl and keep the butter and sage aside for later. Check notes.

3. In the same pan add the chorizo with the pepita seeds and fry until chorizo is crispy and then set aside. Check notes.

4. Pour stock in to a deep pot, bring to boil and reduce to a simmer.

5. In a deep pan heat olive oil on medium heat, add onion, garlic and sauté 3-4 mins until a light golden brown.

6. Then add rice, cinnamon, paprika, pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes.

7. Keep heat on medium and add the wine. Keep stirring until all the wine gets absorbed.

8. Start adding a ladle of stock at a time and stir until all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladle.

9. Add your pumpkin in half way through and keep adding the stock and stirring until the rice is cooked, but still is firm when you bite into it. Check notes.

10. Once you add the last ladle, add half the parmesan and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.

11. Ladle it into a serving dish and sprinkle with chorizo, pepita, parmesan, sage leaves and drizzle with the burnt butter and serve.

Notes :

1. Another easy way to get the pumpkin cooked is to cut it up into 1-2 cms pieces and bake it in a preheated (190c) for 15-20 mins. Do not over bake it. Then mix it through after your last ladle of stock and gently fold it through. You can either opt for a few pieces of pumpkin to be seen or for it to be completely mixed in.

2. You might not need all the stock - keep checking your rice for firmness. If you have stock remaining - freeze it in an ice tray as stock cubes for later.

3. Make sure the stock is always on a simmer.

4. Rice is cooked when there is a slight bite to it. If it feels hard and gritty it is under cooked and if it feel like mush then it is incinerated.

5. If the butter solidifies, just zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before drizzling.

6. Make it vegetarian by swapping the chorizo for some oven baked chickpeas.

Best of luck with your date :P