First Post - Pumpkin Risotto with Leeks and Bacon
I bought a few pumpkins this week with the intention of making pies and breads, but all the pumpkin soup and stew recipes made me want something savory. I also love to make risotto, and I thought pumpkin might just pair nicely with the creaminess of the rice, so I grabbed a pumpkin and made up this risotto. I cooked the pumpkin and leeks in the bacon grease, which was a great idea. It was definitely more than the sum of its parts. Delicious!
I basically used what I had in the kitchen. For this version, I only had one leek and some yellow onions, so I used both. Next time I make it, I will use 2 leeks and no onion because the leek flavor was lovely with the pumpkin. This is just a basic guideline to what I did, not an exact recipe. Your mileage may vary.
Ingredients:
Slightly more than half a pie pumpkin, cut in 1/4" dice
2 leeks, quartered and chopped
5 slices of bacon
1 cup arborio rice
white wine (I used some sauvignon blanc; pinot grigio might also work)
chicken stock (I never measure this part, but start with 4-5 cups), simmering
butter
salt and fresh ground pepper
nutmeg
big handful of grated parmesan, plus a little extra for plating
Cook the bacon in a big skillet, turning only twice. Set aside. Pour out about 1T of the grease into a bowl. Keep the rest of the grease in the pan. Add the pumpkin and some of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook. When the pumpkin is tender, pour out onto a plate (don't put in a bowl; it will steam and cook itself further). Add the rest of the grease to the pan. Toss in the rest of the leeks, saute for a little bit. Add a little butter, if needed. Add rice. Toast. Chop bacon, set aside. Add some wine, cook til it's been absorbed. Add the stock, one ladle at a time, until the rice is tender. Stir in the pumpkin/leek mixture and bacon and heat through. Season if necessary. Add a bit of nutmeg. Stir in a pat of butter and the parmesan. Serve.
I basically used what I had in the kitchen. For this version, I only had one leek and some yellow onions, so I used both. Next time I make it, I will use 2 leeks and no onion because the leek flavor was lovely with the pumpkin. This is just a basic guideline to what I did, not an exact recipe. Your mileage may vary.
Ingredients:
Slightly more than half a pie pumpkin, cut in 1/4" dice
2 leeks, quartered and chopped
5 slices of bacon
1 cup arborio rice
white wine (I used some sauvignon blanc; pinot grigio might also work)
chicken stock (I never measure this part, but start with 4-5 cups), simmering
butter
salt and fresh ground pepper
nutmeg
big handful of grated parmesan, plus a little extra for plating
Cook the bacon in a big skillet, turning only twice. Set aside. Pour out about 1T of the grease into a bowl. Keep the rest of the grease in the pan. Add the pumpkin and some of the leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook. When the pumpkin is tender, pour out onto a plate (don't put in a bowl; it will steam and cook itself further). Add the rest of the grease to the pan. Toss in the rest of the leeks, saute for a little bit. Add a little butter, if needed. Add rice. Toast. Chop bacon, set aside. Add some wine, cook til it's been absorbed. Add the stock, one ladle at a time, until the rice is tender. Stir in the pumpkin/leek mixture and bacon and heat through. Season if necessary. Add a bit of nutmeg. Stir in a pat of butter and the parmesan. Serve.