Ingredients
3T olive oil (divided)
4C butternut squash, peeled and cubed to .5 inches
3C sliced leeks
1T thyme leaves
2C arborio rice
52oz vegetable broth
1C chopped basil
3/4C grated parmesan (with extra for serving)
Karen once told me that she doesn't like risotto because it's too runny, to part of my goal for this recipe was to alter it or prepare it to be a little bit drier.
1. Heat 2T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and saute until the squash begins to brown and soften (about 5 minutes). Transfer to bowl using slotted spoon.
Be sure the squash is cubed small enough; this recipe provides very little time for squash cooking and larger pieces will still be hard and uncooked in the center at service if they are too large.
Squash often doesn't get that brown look when sauteed. As it softens, it looks wet and smells sweet and earthy. Look for those signs that the squash is finished.
If you really want the squash to brown, use higher temperatures; medium-high won't cut it for squash. All else being equal, vegetables with higher water content brown less effectively. In order to counter this tendency, you have to consider amping up one of the other factors that favors good Maillard reactions. Temp is an easy one that works for most foods; in the case of sweet foods like squash, adding a little sugar to the pan might also be an option.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining oil, leeks and thyme to pot and stir until tender, but not brown.
Preparing leeks is easy. Chop off the leek half an inch from the root and where the leaves start to branch. (You'll be let with a white to pale green section.) Cut the leek lengthwise in half and run the halves under cold water. There is often dirt between the layers, so run your thumb over the leek to expose those spaces to the water.
3. Add rice and stir one minute. Add one cup of broth and stir until absorbed, add remaining broth by half cupfuls, waiting for rice to absorb broth before adding again.
In order to make the risotto drier, I turned down the heat and did not add the full amount of broth. The rice absorbed the liquid a little slower, but kept cooking.
Stirring the arborio rice constantly is key. Doing so rubs the grains together, which accomplishes two things. First, it helps the rice itself absorb water. Second, the starches that rub off thicken the remaining liquid. Explanations vary as to why arborio and other risotto rices have this property while common white rices do not.
Some claim that arborio is less processed and simply keeps more soft starch as a result. Others say that risotto rices have two layers with slightly different starch content. (Amylopectin starch is creamy and is found in the outer layers of risottos rices, while non-sticky amylose makes up common rices and the center of risotto rice.) In a cooking class I took once, the chef suggested that wooden spoons were the best tool for the job.
I tend to add the next round of liquid to risotto when I can "part the seas" successfully. That is, if I drag the spoon across the bottom of the pot, the liquid should be thick enough not to fill in the gap immediately. If the liquid quickly fills in the path of the spoon, I stir and wait a bit longer to add more.
The bottom of the pan stays clean and the liquid clings to the risotto.
You can add liquid until the dish is your desired level of creaminess, but be aware that adding less liquid will also decrease cooking time, so the rice may not soften all the way through. In this way, risotto really balances how creamy you want the liquid against how al dente you want the rice.
4. Return squash to pot, continue to cook and stir gently until rice is just tender and creamy (about another 10 minutes).
5. Remove from heat, stir in basil and parmesan, season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional parmesan.
How did it turn out?
The rice was a little undercooked in my opinion, but Karen was pleased by the lack of runny-ness. I think the only way to really address this problem is to add more liquid and let the rice cook longer. I like my risotto creamier, so in general, pushing for the limit of Karen's texture tolerance will make the dish better.
In terms of flavors, I found the higher, herbal tones of the leeks and basil a little discordant with the earthy squash. After I added a little more parmesan to my plate, this sense went away. Parmesan can be sharp and earthy all at once, so it makes a great bridge between the star ingredients. I would make sure not to skimp on the parmesan and consider adding more if it feels like there's a hole in the flavor profile.
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