Risotto-filled baked squash pots
"The fact that...rice can be cooked contrary to all the rules, slowly, in a small amount of liquid, and emerge in a perfect state of creaminess with a very slight resistant core in each grain gives the risotto its particular character." Elizabeth David, Italian Food.
Risotto is a very comforting (and relaxing) dish to make and it doesn't matter what you put in it. However, as Ms David says, no more than two additions make for the best risotto dish - I agree, don't overload the mixture by adding lots of different flavours.
My idea tonight came from wanting something to compliment my beautiful onion squash. I had mulled over taking the top off and scraping out the flesh to make soup, then re-filling the empty 'pot' with the soup. However, H was concerned she wouldn't get a 'pot' if I did this, so I had to think about how to make two dishes out of the vegetable.
So, a slice from top to tail, left me with two little 'ying and yang' dishes which I could fill with risotto:
Risotto-filled baked squash pots.
Originally meaning to scrape out the flesh, I realised the little squash had little flesh, and so I deviated by placing my dishes in the oven drizzled with a little olive oil. There they sat for about 30 mins at 180 C, or until soft-centred.
Meanwhile, I started to make risotto. I used a Kallo vegetable stock cube to make 1 pint of hot stock.
In a large pan, I cooked a pack of cubetti di pancetta until golden, then added some finely sliced spring onions and some halved baby button mushrooms. These cooked gently for 2-3 minutes before I added a teacup of arborio risotto rice. Stir this round for another 2-3 mins before adding a splash of stock.
Once the stock has been absorbed, add another splash, and continue like this until all the stock has been absorbed and leaves the rice dish, creamy and light.
At the last minute, I added the final bits of chicken from yesterday's meal, chopped. Then into the cooked dishes went the risotto...
Perfect! Eat the squash alongside the risotto as it easily scrapes from the skin, or, as I discovered, it won't matter if you eat the skin too (well, the sides of the squash anyway). The onion squash was a success, and the few seeds I saved from it will be potted up to see if I can grow my own little squashes later this year - fingers crossed!
Risotto is a very comforting (and relaxing) dish to make and it doesn't matter what you put in it. However, as Ms David says, no more than two additions make for the best risotto dish - I agree, don't overload the mixture by adding lots of different flavours.
My idea tonight came from wanting something to compliment my beautiful onion squash. I had mulled over taking the top off and scraping out the flesh to make soup, then re-filling the empty 'pot' with the soup. However, H was concerned she wouldn't get a 'pot' if I did this, so I had to think about how to make two dishes out of the vegetable.
So, a slice from top to tail, left me with two little 'ying and yang' dishes which I could fill with risotto:
Risotto-filled baked squash pots.
Originally meaning to scrape out the flesh, I realised the little squash had little flesh, and so I deviated by placing my dishes in the oven drizzled with a little olive oil. There they sat for about 30 mins at 180 C, or until soft-centred.
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| My lovely squash bowls, roasted and ready to fill |
Meanwhile, I started to make risotto. I used a Kallo vegetable stock cube to make 1 pint of hot stock.
In a large pan, I cooked a pack of cubetti di pancetta until golden, then added some finely sliced spring onions and some halved baby button mushrooms. These cooked gently for 2-3 minutes before I added a teacup of arborio risotto rice. Stir this round for another 2-3 mins before adding a splash of stock.
Once the stock has been absorbed, add another splash, and continue like this until all the stock has been absorbed and leaves the rice dish, creamy and light.
At the last minute, I added the final bits of chicken from yesterday's meal, chopped. Then into the cooked dishes went the risotto...
Perfect! Eat the squash alongside the risotto as it easily scrapes from the skin, or, as I discovered, it won't matter if you eat the skin too (well, the sides of the squash anyway). The onion squash was a success, and the few seeds I saved from it will be potted up to see if I can grow my own little squashes later this year - fingers crossed!
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