maitaitom

We have tried a few recipes for pumpkin risotto that we have found on the web since our return, and this one is really good. Tracy also said she might teach a class for newlyweds on how to give their husbands "the look." She is dangerous. If someone has a different recipe, we are always experimenting. Happy Thanksgiving - Italian style.

<b> Roasted Pumpkin Risotto </b>

1 Sugar Pie or other baking pumpkin
4 shallots, chopped
5 c. chicken or roasted vegetable stock (Trader Joe's is good)
2 c. arborio rice (we like Ferrara brand)
1 c. dry white wine
saffron threads, to taste
fleur de sel and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Fresh grated pecorino
Olive oil

Cut pumpkin into quarters, scoop out seeds. Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with salt, white pepper and cumin. Roast in 350 oven until tender (approximately 1 hour). Cool. Scoop pumpkin out of shell. Puree in blender adding broth if necessary to puree. Best to make the day before so the flavors will meld.

Bring stock to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. In a separate pan, saut&eacute; shallots in olive oil with a splash of white wine until translucent. Add rice to shallots and saut&eacute; for 2-3 minutes over moderate heat, stirring
frequently. Add wine and saffron threads, stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed over medium/high heat.

Add 3 c. pumpkin puree and 1 c. stock stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, continue to add the stock, 1 cup at a time and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed.

Repeat until the rice is cooked. If you run out of stock, add hot water. The risotto should be thick and creamy. It takes about 25 minutes and remember to stir, stir, stir.

Remove from heat, salt and black pepper to taste. To serve, sprinkle with grated pecorino and drizzle with olive oil.

Serves 4 as main course or 6 as an appetizer.

And don't forget to have a Singing Gondolier after dinner.

smalti

Ooh, that sounds good. Thanks for sharing it.

Tiff

Yummy, yummy in Tiff's tummy.

SusanP

Sure, Tom, I don't read this 'til after midnight when it's too late to go out and buy a pumpkin
Oh well, my husband is diabetic and can't eat rice anyway. I may just have to make this sometime for myself and my son. It sounds delicious!

dewdrops

MelissaHI

I have never cooked with saffron before so I have to ask....how do you know if the saffron added is enough &quot;to taste?&quot;

tondalaya

Saffron is very strong. A few threads are all that is needed.

mimosa

Many thanks for the recipe. A Christmas, maybe.

Scarlett

Mmmm, I had taglietele with Saffron Cream and Dungeness Crab last night..

enroute

Thanks for the recipe.

Betsy

Ooh, this is agony! I just waddled over to the computer after polishing off a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. I will definitely make this--just not tonight!

Can you recommend a source to buy saffron? I never know whether I'm getting the real thing or not.

Thanks so much for sharing!

HappyCheesehead

Penzeys had wonderful spices and herbs, we have used them for years. Try www.Penzeys.com

Eloise

And - Maitaitom, forgive me! - if you don't have the patience to stir for half an hour, you can adapt the recipe for Risotto with Radicchio in Barbara Kafka's &quot;The Microwave Gourmet&quot; and let the microwave do it for you with only three or four stirs in all.

cigalechanta

http://greekproducts.com/greekproducts/saffron/
here's about saffron.
I use alot of it in my cooking but not sure which country is best. I have a local shop.

Seamus

One of my prize souvenirs from Istanbul is some excelent saffron purchased at the Egyptian Spice Market. There were all sorts of tourist-packaged saffron around, but someone warned me that the quality is not particularly good, with the few threads you can see through the packaging dyed to look redder and the stuff inside more pale and less flavorful. The stuff I bought was from a bulk bin and the vendor said is was from Iran (or maybe Iraq?), supposedly the best in the world.