I love all things pumpkin.
I don't, however, buy pumpkins in the raw much. But there was a nice heavy sugar pumpkin at People's, looking bright orange and delicious. So I bought it. While I had planned on soup for this pumpkin, I have to admit I was a bit souped-out from the squash a few days ago. Inspired by a recent episode of KCRW's Good Food that loosely discussed the idea of pumpkin risotto, I decided to forge a path in that direction. As it was starting to rain and I had a good parking spot, I based it on my kitchen's current ingredients.
1 pumpkin
1/2 onion, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, 1 whole, 1 chopped
vegetable stock (about 5 c)
2 c. arborio rice
spinach
chipotle chile flakes (not necessary)
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
olive oil, butter
cheese, if you like it: Parmesan or goat cheese would both be good.
I halved the pumpkin, scooped out the seeds and the strings (save seeds), and put the pumpkin, with the exposed insides down, into a casserole dish with about 1" water in the bottom. Put that in the oven at about 425F to roast.
Meanwhile, I tossed the seeds with a bit of melted butter and some salt, spread them on a baking sheet and added them to the oven to toast, about 30 min. Stir them occasionally and try not to make the same mistake I did, keep an eye or a keen nose on them so that they don't over-roast.
Let the pumpkin go for a while... about 35-45 min, until the pumpkin is cooked (this is a good recipe for a rainy day). Peel the skin off with your fingers or cut it off with a knife, then cut the pumpkin into roughly 1" cubes. Put half of it on a baking sheet (I used the one that had the seeds on it) and toss with salt and olive oil, return to oven to caramelize the pumpkin a bit, get it nice and roasty. Take it out when it starts to brown slightly.
Mash the other half up for use in the risotto.
Risotto: Put about 2 T olive oil in the bottom of a large pot. Heat the oil, add the onions and shallots. When onions start to soften, add the garlic. You'll later remove the whole garlic clove, it gives good flavor without overpowering.
After about another 3 min- before the garlic browns- add the rice and stir to coat with oil. Add the mashed pumpkin and coat the rice with the pumpkin. Let that cook for a few minutes, it might start to brown a bit on the bottom.
Add the stock, 1 c. at a time, stirring frequently. Don't add the next cup until the previous one is well-absorbed. The stirring is important b/c it releases starches from the rice, making your risotto feel creamy in your mouth.
Repeat until your rice is al dente- like cooked pasta, it shouldn't be mushy or soggy. The very inside will offer the slightest resistance to your biting into it. When it's about done, finish it with about 1T butter (just stir it in) and the cheese if you like it, salt and pepper to taste, and grate in the faintest hint of nutmeg. Finally, add several handfuls of spinach to the pot and cover it. The spinach will steam this way, then you can fold it into the risotto.
Dish it up, adding a few cubes of roasted pumpkin and top with the toasted pumpkin seeds.
2 comments:
The Pumpkin by John Greenleaf Whittier (1850)
Oh, greenly and fair in the lands of the sun,
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run,
And the rock and the tree and the cottage enfold,
With broad leaves all greenness and blossoms all gold,
Like that which o'er Nineveh's prophet once grew,
While he waited to know that his warning was true,
And longed for the storm-cloud, and listened in vain
For the rush of the whirlwind and red fire-rain.
On the banks of the Xenil the dark Spanish maiden
Comes up with the fruit of the tangled vine laden;
And the Creole of Cuba laughs out to behold
Through orange-leaves shining the broad spheres of gold;
Yet with dearer delight from his home in the North,
On the fields of his harvest the Yankee looks forth,
Where crook-necks are coiling and yellow fruit shines,
And the sun of September melts down on his vines.
Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and from South comes the pilgrim and guest;
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored;
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before;
What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?
Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!
When we laughed round the corn-heap, with hearts all in tune,
Our chair a broad pumpkin, -- our lantern the moon,
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like steam
In a pumpkin-shell coach, with two rats for her team!
Then thanks for thy present! none sweeter or better
E'er smoked from an oven or circled a platter!
Fairer hands never wrought at a pastry more fine,
Brighter eyes never watched o'er its baking, than thine!
And the prayer, which my mouth is too full to express,
Swells my heart that thy shadow may never be less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened below,
And the fame of thy worth like a pumpkin-vine grow,
And thy life be as sweet, and its last sunset sky
Golden-tinted and fair as thy own Pumpkin pie!
Thanks, Carol! That's great. It truly speaks to my love of all things pumpkin- apparently Mr. Whittier suffered the same affliction.
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