Pumpkin Risotto

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Pumpkin Risotto
six small, sweet pumpkins
1.5 cups arborio rice
1 qt chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
3 tbs unsalted butter
1 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 tbs fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Cut open the top of the pumpkins and scoop out the seeds. Use a spoon to carve out the flesh, then dice the flesh into half-inch pieces. Keep the pumpkin shells and the tops for serving.
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin chunks in about a tbs of olive oil and a sprinkling of Kosher salt. Transfer to a sheet pan and and roast for about 30 min or until they’re tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the stock in a saucepan, and lower the heat so that it just stays hot but doesn’t boil.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil, then add the onion and sage. Sauté for a minute or so, until the onion is translucent.
Next add the rice and sauté for another couple of minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until it gives off a nutty aroma and the grains are coated with the oil.
Add the wine and cook for another min, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed.
Now begin by adding a ladleful of hot stock to the rice and stirring until it is absorbed. It’s important to stir constantly, especially while the hot stock gets absorbed, so that the rice doesn’t scorch, and add the next ladle as soon as the rice is almost dry.
Continue in this manner, adding a ladleful of stock and stirring while the liquid is absorbed, then adding another ladleful when the rice is almost dry. The rice develop a creamy consistency as its natural starches are released.
Keep adding stock, a ladle at a time, for 20-30 min or until the grains are tender but still firm to the bite, without being crunchy. If the stock gets used and the risotto still isn’t done, finish the cooking using hot water. Just add the water as with the stock, a ladle at a time, stirring while it’s absorbed, if necessary.
Stir in the roasted pumpkin along with the remaining 2 tbs butter, the parmesan and gorgonzola cheeses, and season to taste with Kosher salt. Serve the risotto right away, as it will turn glutinous if held for too long.
Makes 6 servings of pumpkin risotto with leftovers.

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