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Risotto may not be known as a Fall food, but add some apples and squash, and you can almost feel the cool breeze and hear the crunch of the fallen leaves! Steve Nelson with the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about his Apple Butternut Squash Risotto. His secret to a fantastic fall risotto begins with cooking the rice by gradually adding the stock to the pan, as the rice simmers on medium-high heat. Doing it this way gives each piece of rice it's own texture, slightly crunchy on the outside with a soft center. Add diced apples and the squash after the rice is cooked and let it soak in. It gives a fantastically rustic flavor that feels just like the fall. Find out more about the Hawthorne Hotel here
- ½ whole Butternut Squash, Peeled And Cut Into 1/2'' Cubes
- ½ whole Red Onion, Cut In Wedges
- 1 whole Apple, Peeled And Cut Into 1" Cubes
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 teaspoons Nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Pepper
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1-½ cup White Wine
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Arborio Rice
- ½ cups Parmesan Cheese
Roast butternut squash, onion, apple, and garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper at 425ºF for 20 minutes., turning once.
Pour chicken broth and wine in a small pot and put on the stove at medium heat, keeping warm while rice is prepared.
Once vegetables are done roasting, add to a big pot. Add butter and rice. Cook until butter has melted, about 1-2 minutes, toasting the rice slightly. Pour in 1/2 cup of wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until reduced and liquid is almost gone.
Add broth/wine mixture to rice one ladleful at a time until liquid is almost gone, stirring fairly continuously on medium heat. This process will take about 15 minutes until all of the broth/wine has been used up.
At this point, the rice should have a moist, creamy consistency.
Stir in parmesan cheese and serve!
