Jamie's roast squash, sage, chestnut and pancetta risotto

1 x basic risotto recipe
1 butternut squash
1 level tablespoon coriander seeds
2 small dried chillies
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
12 slices of pancetta or dry-cured smoky bacon
100g chestnuts (vac-packed are fine)
a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
optional: 6 heaped tablespoons mascarpone cheese


If I could pick a load of ingredients that just shout out ‘Bonfire Night! Christmas! Cosy!’ it would have to be all the ones in this risotto. It’s so damn good — cook it whenever the ingredients are in season.

Preheat your oven to 190°C. Carefully cut your butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put these to one side. Cut the squash lengthways into 0.5cm slices. Bash up your coriander and chillies with a pinch of salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar (or use a metal bowl and the end of a rolling pin). Dust this over your squash with a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss around until completely coated. Line up snugly in a roasting tray and bake for around 30 minutes until the flesh and skin are soft to the touch. Now get all your ingredients ready and start making your basic risotto.

Remove the squash from the oven and lay your pancetta over it. Mix the squash seeds, chestnuts and sage leaves with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the squash and pancetta and place back in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes until the pancetta is crisp.

Once the squash has cooled down a little, shake off the pancetta and chestnuts and finely chop the squash – it will be quite mushy but that’s fine. I go for half of it fine and half chunky. Add this to the risotto at the end of Stage 3. Carry on as normal through the basic recipe, season to taste and serve with the pancetta, chestnuts, sage leaves and squash seeds sprinkled over the top.

Lovely served with a big dollop of mascarpone cheese on the side.

Try this: Place a grater and a block of Parmesan cheese in the middle of the table so that everyone can help themselves.

Lemongrass risotto

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

15g Butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
140g Arborio rice
50ml White wine
1 green chillies, finely chopped
0,75 tbsp Thai green curry paste, (or to taste)
1/2 stick Lemon grass, crushed
1 kaffir lime leaf
150ml chicken stock, hot
150ml fish stock, hot
1 tbsp Mascarpone
10g flat-leaf parsley, and coriander mixed
225g white crab meat, and dark crab meat, fresh
50g Parmesan, grated
25ml double cream
1/2 lime, juice only
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and add the garlic and shallots. Fry for one minute.

2. Add the rice and then the wine.

3. Stir in the chopped green chillies, curry paste, crushed lemon grass and lime leaves.

4. Mix together the hot chicken stock and fish stock. Add a ladle full of the stock to the rice and stir until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Continue adding the stock, a ladle full at a time until all the stock has been absorbed. This should take about 13 to 15 minutes.

5. Once the rice is cooked remove the lemon grass, add the mascarpone and the chopped herbs.

6. Add the crabmeat and Parmesan.

7. Add the cream and lime juice and season well.

8. Spoon onto warmed plates and serve with chilli oil and extra Parmesan.

Risotto with broad beans, peas and mint

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/511813

Gorgonzola-sienirisotto

1 sipuli
oliiviöljyä
3 dl risottoriisiä
1 dl valkoviiniä
5 dl kanalientä
1 tl suolaa
2 dl kuivattuja sieniä (esim. suppilovahveroita)
200 g gorgonzola-juustoa
parmesan-juustoa koristeluun

Hienonna sipuli ja kuullota se pehmeäksi öljyssä, lisää riisi. Kuullota vielä hetki. Kaada joukkoon valkoviini ja anna sen imeytyä riisiin. Kaada kanalientä pikkuhiljaa risoton joukkoon koko ajan sekoittaen. Lisää suola ja murskatut sienet. Kun sekoitat usein, riisistä irtoaa tärkkelystä, ja risotto saa hyvän rakenteen. Lisäile pikku hiljaa loppu kanaliemi ja sekoita. Kun riisi on al dente, eli juuri ja juuri kypsää, lisää paloiteltu gorgonzola-juusto. Koristele risotto parmesaanilastuilla.

Gorgonzola-sienirisotto

1 sipuli
oliiviöljyä
3 dl risottoriisiä
1 dl valkoviiniä
5 dl kanalientä
1 tl suolaa
2 dl kuivattuja sieniä (esim. suppilovahveroita)
200 g gorgonzola-juustoa
parmesan-juustoa koristeluun

Hienonna sipuli ja kuullota se pehmeäksi öljyssä, lisää riisi. Kuullota vielä hetki. Kaada joukkoon valkoviini ja anna sen imeytyä riisiin. Kaada kanalientä pikkuhiljaa risoton joukkoon koko ajan sekoittaen. Lisää suola ja murskatut sienet. Kun sekoitat usein, riisistä irtoaa tärkkelystä, ja risotto saa hyvän rakenteen. Lisäile pikku hiljaa loppu kanaliemi ja sekoita. Kun riisi on al dente, eli juuri ja juuri kypsää, lisää paloiteltu gorgonzola-juusto. Koristele risotto parmesaanilastuilla.