Winter Squash Risotto

Having made the Pesto Risotto with Tracy Jill, I decided I should try the Winter Squash Risotto as my second Jack Bishop recipe. And I think I hit the jackpot! This recipe is amazing and though it seems labor intensive, it really isn't and it is very very worth it. I also googled different ways to keep left-over risotto for later days and almost all of the forums said not to even try freezing risotto and that even reheating it the next day would ruin the texture of the rice. Jack Bishop encourages people to make Risotto Cakes if there are left-overs. Well, I will have to report back to you on the frozen risotto later (Memily doesn't follow directions well;), but I can tell you for certain that the left-overs I had for lunch today were just as amazing as yesterday. So, Enjoy!

You will need:

2½ pounds winter squash (one medium butternut squash or 2-3 delicatas)
3 T butter (1 T melted)
salt
4 c vegetable stock
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ c Arborio rice
¾ c dry white wine
¾ c Parmesan cheese
1 T fresh sage, minced
nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and strings, and put them in saucepan. Brush the squash flesh with butter, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and place on the cookie sheet, flesh side up. Bake about 45 minutes, until tender. Set aside to cool, then spoon the flesh into bowl, discard skins, and mash squash until smooth.

Meanwhile, add stock and ½ t salt to the seeds and strings and heat over high heat until it boils. Cover, lower heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Set strainer over bowl and pour the liquid through. Use spoon to squish the strings and get all the liquid out. Measure the liquid back into the saucepan and add water until the total liquid equals 5 cups. Heat to a simmer, cover, and turn off heat.

In the heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 T butter with olive oil until butter melts and is no longer foamy. Add onion and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Stirring constantly: Mix in rice and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and cook about 2 minutes, until absorbed. Add 1 c of broth and cook until absorbed, then add another c, and repeat until rice is soft and creamy with just a bit of hardness right at the center. Add more hot water if needed to get the texture just right. This should take about 25 minutes total.

Remove from heat and stir in mashed squash, Parmesan, sage, and the last T butter. Mix until butter is melted, then add nutmeg and additional salt, if desired. Serve immediately, with Parmesan cheese for sprinkling.