This is not a New Years post. If I’m being honest, I’ve spent today curled up on the couch in my pajamas, reading a food writing anthology, and sipping coffee. Contrary to typically virtuous January 1st meals, so far today I have eaten a hunk of leftover pumpkin bread, some dark chocolate-covered caramels from Trader Joes, and part of an orange. This is my last day of holiday break before life returns to business-as-usual, so I decided to postpone all thoughts of go-gettery New Year’s business until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I can wake up at 5AM, return to work, eat some greens, and do some squats. Today, I will burrow a bit deeper in the couch, pour my third cup of coffee, and write about some wintery comfort food – pumpkin risotto.
Dennis and I had a semi-regular risotto-making streak going back when we lived in New Orleans. Our NOLA Costco regularly stocked cheap bags of clams and we made the one-two punch of steamed clams followed by leftover clam-broth risotto every couple of months. We fell out of the risotto habit when we moved to DC and hadn’t really thought about the dish in years. That changed this fall when we spotted a field of pumpkins on an apple picking trip and Dennis was struck by pumpkin-risotto inspiration.
That inspiration struck sometime in October and the pumpkin we bought to fulfill it then sat on a stool in our living room for about 2 months. Late in December, we finally decided to tackle the beast. Both of us were surprised by the mildly savory taste of the plain roasted pumpkin – I think we both expected something akin to pumpkin pie without crust. Once we realized what flavor profile we were dealing with, we decided to play up the savory notes with an umami hit of parmesan and squeeze of lemon for brightness. Well this may seem heavier than typical resolution food, it may be just the thing to help carry a bit of holiday magic and comfort into January.
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Pumpkin Risotto w/ Candied Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
- 1 T vegetable or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 C arborio rice
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- Fresh sage leaves
- Pumpkin seeds (~1/2 cup)
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 T turbinado or brown sugar
- 1/2 t cinnamon
- 1/4 t nutmeg
- 1/8 t ground allspice or cloves
- 1/2 t kosher salt
For the pumpkin puree
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice pumpkin into medium to large wedges, removing seeds and pulp (reserve seeds for later). Drizzle pumpkin liberally with vegetable or olive oil, rubbing to coat. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Transfer pumpkin wedges to a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until a fork can easily pierce the flesh, ~45 minutes. Allow pumpkin to cool, then scrape flesh off the tough outer skin. Pulse flesh in a food processor until smooth.
For the risotto
Heat ~1 T of neutral oil in a large skillet. When oil is shimmering, add onions to pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn translucent and just begin to take on some golden color. Add uncooked arborio rice to onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice looks a bit translucent as well. Slowly begin to add broth to rice, about 1/2 cup at a time. Stir rice near constantly, and allow the broth to almost totally absorb before each sequential addition. Once all of the broth has been added, taste rice. If rice is still too firm, add more broth. Once rice is soft with a bit of chew remaining, add pumpkin puree, stirring to totally combine. Once pumpkin is fully incorporated, stir in parmesan until it fully melts. Taste risotto and season with nutmeg, salt, black pepper, and squeezes of fresh lemon until it tastes balanced.
For the sage leaves
Heat ~1/2 inch of neutral oil in a small saucepan. Once oil is shimmering, add sage leaves. Allow leaves to fry for 1-2 minutes, until crisp. Remove from oil, placing on paper towels. Salt immediately.
For the candied seeds
Clean pumpkin seeds until no strands of pumpkin pulp remain. Dry completely with clean kitchen towels. In a medium bowl, toss seeds with 1-2 T of maple syrup, until all seeds are barely sticky. In another small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and spices. Add spice mixture to sticky seeds, tossing until coating is evenly distributed. Spread seeds in an even layer on a lined baking sheet. Roast in a 375 degree oven for ~30 min, until nuts smell toasty.
Renmaicha | 任米茶 