Roasted Pumpkin & Wild Mushroom Risotto



Ingredients:

  1. 1 pound pumpkin, cut in big chunks, seeds and fibres removed
  2. olive oil for brushing
  3. 3/4 oz.(20 g) dried porcini mushrooms
  4. 1 cup boiling water
  5. 4 cups chicken stock
  6. 2 tbsp. butter
  7. 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  8. 2 cups arborio rice
  9. 1/4 tsp. salt
  10. 1 cup white wine
  11. 1/4 cup grated parmesan

By Susan Sampson from Toronto Star.

Place pumpkin on baking sheet. Brush with oil. Bake in a pre-heated 400F oven for 45 minutes or until browned and tender but still firm. Meanwhile, cover mushrooms with boiling water. When pumpkin is cool enough to handle, discard peel and cut flesh in 1/2 inch dice. (You should have about 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups.) Drain mushrooms through sieve, putting liquid in a medium pan. Add stock. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer on back burner. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large pan on medium heat. Add onion. Cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and salt. Cook stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and pumpkin. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring, until wine evaporates. Ladle about 1 cup stock mixture into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice absorbs most of liquid. Repeat with remaining stock mixture. Process should take about 30 minutes and rice should become creamy and tender, with a bit of chewiness in the centre of each grain. Meanwhile, melt remaining tablespoon of butter in small skillet on medium heat. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Add to skillet. Cook, stirring until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir mushroom and their juices into rice mixture with final ladle of stock mixture. Remove pan from heat. Stir in parmesan. Cover and let sit 2 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 8 side servings.