Butternut Squash Risotto

allyphoe

New member
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen; original available here () with free registration. The original is much more detailed about process, so if you aren't a choose-your-own-adventurer, it's worth a read.

1 butternut squash, peeled with a vegetable peeler, cut into smallish dice. Makes about 8.5C of raw squash. (Original recipe uses 3.5C squash, and says a 2-pound squash should give you about 4.5 cups. My squash came out to 8.5 C, so that's what I used.)
3 Tbl olive oil

Fry in batches in a nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes per batch. Squash will be browned and tender, but not mushy. If you run out of oil, add a bit of water to the pan and cover for the remaining cooking time. Set aside.

Simmer the squash innards with 4C of chicken broth (I used a tablespoon of Better Than Bullion chicken base to 4C of water), strain, and return broth to heat to keep warm.

Melt 3 Tbl butter in a large pan. (I started in the same 12" skillet, and switched to a giant stockpot halfway through.) Sweat 2C (one medium) diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic over medium heat. Add 2C rice and fry for a few minutes.

Stir in 1.5C water and cook until absorbed. Stir in 3C chicken broth and about half the squash; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Add half a cup of broth (or hot water) at a time, stirring as often as you can stand to, until the rice is al dente. Add the remaining squash about 5 minutes before the rice is done - I added it earlier, because my squash was still firmer than I wanted it.

Finish by stirring in 2 Tbl fresh minced sage, 1 Tbl butter, 1.5 ounces grated parmesan (6 Tbl per my parmesan package), salt (I used more chicken base) and pepper to taste.

Makes 13 one-cup servings, if you don't nibble the squash as you cook. 1C = 240 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated, 3.5g monounsaturated), 38g carbs (3g fiber), 5g protein.
 
Cooks Illustrated magazine is probably the best cooking magazine around and that's the brains behind the show...
 
Yep, I've been happy with every recipe of theirs I've tried, even with my freewheeling modifications.

My entire family has requested the chocolate layer cake seen here () as birthday cake. IIRC, when I did the math, it came out to something like 8,500 calories for the whole cake - and both my partner and our kid want two layers and a whole batch of frosting - no skimping allowed! Preschool no longer allows you to send in homemade food, so I'm going to have to work to get rid of that cake without me eating more than I need of it.
 
If you've never seen the show on pbs - check it out - chris kimball is kind of a dork but he's cute... and they really go in depth into explanations as to why you're doing certan things.. and the product reviews are also great. (the magazine and televisions how both accept no advertising so their reviews are pretty spot on..
 
It's not on when I'm home very often, but I've seen it half a dozen times. Including the one where the decadent chocolate cake was made, which is why it's now on everyone's list. ;)

I've got one of the ATK cookbooks, and my mom has a couple more done by one branch or another of Cook's Illustrated.

If you like "why food works" geekery, Shirley Corriher's (sp?) Cookwise is excellent. I've seen her guest-hosting on Good Eats a bunch lately, but I first came across her on The Splendid Table (public radio). I do pork tenderloin off of a variant of her recipe. And if I ever had a ton of money to spend on really good meat, I'd try her Chateaubriand recipe.
 
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