How do you cook on a budget and still maintain the flavour?
Every week, a chef takes Metro through an easy and cheap, yet delicious, recipe that you can make at home without fuss.
And this week’s offering is sure to become a seasonal favourite, courtesy of Sophie Nahmad.
Nothing screams Halloween more than pumpkins. And while 35 million will be sold this autumn, almost half are expected to be carved and the insides chucked in the bin.
This no-waste perfect pumpkin risotto means the kids can have their fun – and the family gets fed!
Ingredients
35g Italian hard cheese, plus another 35g grated
1 whole pumpkin
1 Chinese rice wine sachet (30ml)
1 brown onion
2 garlic cloves
1 bag of pecan nuts (25g)
11g veg stock mix
160g Arborio rice
10g sage
1 soft cheese pot (50g)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C (fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Scoop out the insides of the pumpkin with a large spoon to keep the slices large – then discard the seeds. Keep half of the pumpkin as slices and chop the remaining half into small cubes.
2. Add the slices to one side of a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the cubes to a sheet of tin foil with a tbsp cold water and scrunch it up to form a sealed parcel. Put the tray in the oven for an initial 20-25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is almost cooked through and beginning to turn golden.
3. While the pumpkin is roasting, boil a kettle. Peel and finely chop the brown onion. Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
4. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Dissolve the veg stock mix in 600ml boiled water. Once the onion is softened, add the Arborio rice to the pan with the chopped garlic and Chinese rice wine and cook for one minute. Add stock a ladle at a time, stirring continuously, for 25-30 minutes or until all of the stock is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
5. While the rice is cooking, peel the Italian hard cheese with a peeler until you end up with a pile of cheese shavings. Heat a separate large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sage leaves and cook for one minute or until crispy, then transfer to kitchen paper and set aside.
6. When the pumpkin has had 20 minutes, add the pecans to the tray and return to the oven for five minutes (or until toasted). Remove the roasted pumpkin cubes from the tin foil parcel and mash them up with a fork to form a pumpkin purée.
7. When the rice is almost cooked, stir the pumpkin purée and soft cheese through the risotto. Add the grated Italian hard cheese with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the rice is cooked – this is your pumpkin risotto. Serve topped with the cheese shavings, the roasted pumpkin slices, crispy sage leaves and toasted pecans. Season with a good grind of black pepper.
Recipe from Gousto, with 75 meals to choose from weekly and prices from £3.14
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