Risotto - You Can Do it the Easy Way 
or the Hard Way

 

Pumpkin Sage Risotto – 7 Minutes in a  Pressure Cooker- Just in Time !!!

The punctured myths about Champagne may soon be joined by the myths about cooking risotto.  Recent blind tastings by Italian food professionals s have indicated that in most cases they can't  separate Risotto cooked in 7 minutes from Risotto slowly and painstakingly  stirred for 3 times as long. Of course the latter approach adds to the aura of risotto. But you really can’t taste aura.

The beginnings are the same for both:

You’ll need:

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1 small (1 ¾ lb.) pumpkin, peeled
and seeded and cut into 1” cubes 
(Butternut or Kabocha Squash may
 be an even better choice and are 
more easily obtained.

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2 tbs. extra- virgin olive oil – No cheating- Virginity is crucial in this case. 

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Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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6 cups chicken broth or canned low sodium broth as needed

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2 tbs.  unsalted butter

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1/3 cup chopped shallots

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1 finely chopped garlic clove

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2 cups Arborio (or similar Italian)  rice- no substitutes- for the risotto

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1 cup of very dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc

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½ cup freshly grated Regianno Parmigiano Parmesan cheese plus more for serving (domestic substitutes are not acceptable.)

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2 tbs. fresh chopped sage.

 

Preparation

Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 400 F.

Spread the squash on a baking sheet and toss with one tbs. of oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake until tender – about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm

In a 5-7 qt. Pressure cooker or a 3- quart shallow pressure cooker (sometimes called a risotto cooker), heat the butter, and remaining 1 tbs. of oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened -about 2 minutes. Add  the rice and stir until it turns opaque-about 2 minutes. Add the unheated broth and the wine. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure.

Cook for 7 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer instructions. Carefully open the lid.  observing caution because of  the steam. Add the cooked pumpkin or squash. Then stir in the Regianno Parmigiano cheese and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sage and serve immediately. Pass a bowl of Regianno Parmigiano to sprinkle on individual plates of risotto according to personal choice.