A couple of years ago I suggested that we might, just might, not have mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. The food lover in me thought it might be interesting to try a new take on potatoes and branch out a little. I almost had to go into witness protection to avoid the wrath of my family. Mashed potatoes are apparently sacred.

All kidding aside, I learned an important lesson that had I thought about it I would have already known: the food traditions associated with Thanksgiving are almost as important as the food itself. Generally, this is one time of year most people don’t want to be surprised. They aren’t particularly interested in having their notions or their taste buds challenged. And, as a hostess, my role is to make them happy and comfortable, so I’ll give them what they want.

After some further investigation, I have discovered that my family is amenable to some variation on the Thanksgiving menu as long as the base traditions aren’t in jeopardy. Among our Thanksgiving crew I can experiment with turkey preparations as long as I stick with a traditional turkey – they aren’t quite ready for a heritage bird yet. Also, they’ll tolerate new and interesting stuffing preparations as long as Granny’s traditional cornbread dressing is there to keep us all honest. And most interestingly, they are open to new and interesting vegetables and starches as long as green beans and mashed potatoes make their requisite appearance. This year I’ll be adding an sourdough, apple, and chorizo stuffing option as well as a butternut squash and poblano gratin to the menu as the “new and different” dish (made with Hatch Chiles of course). Butternut squash is familiar enough that people won’t look too askance at this new offering on the table, and who knows, it might even become a new family favorite.

If like me you have the opportunity or desire to mix up your Thanksgiving table a bit, but want to stick with a few traditional flavors, this recipe for butternut squash risotto might be the perfect place to start. With a flavor and texture similar to sweet potatoes, the squash won’t be totally out of place on the menu. Risotto isn’t a typical American Thanksgiving dish though, so it will be fun and just unexpected enough to make people sit up and take notice. And if you’re worried about the fact that risotto requires so much attention and last minute preparation, never fear! I share the secret to make-ahead risotto in the “Recipe for Success” section at the end of the recipe.

So go ahead, branch out this Thanksgiving!

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

Details

• Difficulty: Moderate
  
• Serves: 4 (can be easily doubled or tripled)
  
• Prep Time: 30 min
  
• Cook Time: 25 min
  

Ingredients

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
• ½ c. diced red onion
• 1 c. chopped butternut squash (1/4 in. pieces)
• 1 ½ cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice (Carnaroli recommended)
• 1 c. white wine
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste

Garnish (Optional)

• 4 sage leaves, chiffonaded
• ½ c. chopped, toasted walnuts
• Shaved parmesan cheese
• Drizzle of high-quality olive oil

Instructions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
2. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat in a separate medium sauce pan until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve for garnish. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. of the bacon fat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the red onion. Cook until it is soft but not browned, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the butternut squash to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the rice and cook until it is well-coated with the bacon fat and begins to turn translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the wine and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add about 1 cup of the warm broth to the rice and stir regularly until the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes. You’ll know the liquid is absorbed when you run your spoon through the rice and liquid doesn’t immediately fill the bottom of the pan. Repeat, adding broth 1 cup at a time, until the rice is al dente (cooked through but still firm), about 18-22 minutes. While you don’t have to stir the rice the entire time, you shouldn’t leave the rice unattended for more than a minute or two and do stir the rice frequently.
8. When the risotto is done sample it and add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Ladle the risotto into a serving bowl and finish with the bacon and any of the other recommended garnishes.

Recipe for Success

• To make this dish wholly vegetarian use vegetable broth, skip the bacon, and substitute 3 Tbsp. olive oil for the bacon fat.
• The time of day, the humidity in your area, and the specific type of rice you buy will all contribute to how long it takes your risotto to finish cooking and how much stock you need. You may not use all of your stock, or you may need to heat a little water in a tea kettle or in the microwave if you run out of stock and still need a little more liquid. The key is to start tasting the risotto at the 18 minute mark and keep adding liquid a little at a time until it is done.
• Use a crisp white wine or even sparkling wine for this recipe. Avoid overly oaky wines or sweet wines as they will not fit well with the flavor profiles of the other ingredients. You can also leave the wine out entirely and substitute additional broth.
• You can make this risotto ahead and finish it just before you serve dinner. Cook the rice until almost al dente but not quite done, about 16 minutes. The rice should still have a firm bite when you taste it. Spoon the risotto from the sauce pan onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread it evenly over the sheet. Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator immediately so the rice can cool quickly. When the rice is cool, cover with plastic wrap. About 15 minutes before serving, heat about 2 cups of broth in a sauce pan, return the risotto to a separate sauce pan, add a ladle of broth and continue cooking as per step 7 until the risotto is done.

In celebration of Spring and the many fun activities it brings, I challenged myself to create a menu for a casual dinner for 8 that required no more than one hour of preparation time the night before and another 90 minutes of preparation the day of the dinner (grocery shopping not included). The hardest part about building the menu wasn’t finding recipes that would fit with my time limits, but it was choosing from all of the amazing options.

Meats like lamb and pork cook quickly and the Spring’s best vegetables need minimal assistance to shine. My final menu included a spectacular but dead-simple rack of lamb, an oven risotto that would free me from standing over the stove stirring, beautiful artichokes that are fun to eat, and a luxurious panna cotta that comes together quickly the night before the dinner. This menu would be lovely for Easter or for any other get together in the Spring or Summer. In fact, it comes together so quickly that it’s actually practical for weeknight entertaining. Your guests will think you were in the kitchen all day, and well, where’s the good in disabusing them of that notion? Your secret is safe with me.

The Menu (serves eight)

Main Course

Rosemary Pesto Lamb Rack
quadruple the recipe

Baked Risotto with Morels and Asparagus

Artichokes with Garlic-Thyme Mayonnaise
double the recipe

Dessert

Lemon Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

To Drink

Medium-bodied red wine such as Erath Pinot Noir

The Plan

I create all of my preparation plans in Excel because I find it easy to work with and to modify as I go. I’ll admit it’s a little over the top for most, but if you’d like to see the detailed spreadsheet I used to get to this plan, you’re welcome to download a copy in Excel or PDF format.

The night before

• Set the table and set out serving dishes
• Make the panna cotta and raspberry sauce

90 minutes before dinner

• Open the wine so it can breath
• Prep the lamb and let sit at room temperature
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1 hour before dinner

• Prep the artichokes and mayonnaise

40 minutes before dinner

• Put the lamb in the oven
• Bring the artichokes and water to boil
• Prep risotto ingredients

30 minutes before dinner

• Reduce the lamb oven heat to 400 degrees
• Start the risotto on the stove and then place in oven

15 minutes before dinner

• Remove the lamb from the oven and allow it to rest
• Remove the artichokes from the boiling water and drain
• Sautee the asparagus for the risotto

5 minutes before dinner

• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the asparagus
• Plate all of the dishes

30 minutes after dinner

• Make coffee
• Plate panna cotta
• Serve dessert

Keys to Success

You’ll be cooking for this dinner right up until it’s time to serve the meal. However, that doesn’t mean you have to feel harried or not enjoy pre-dinner time with your guests. Some things I’ve found helpful when cooking a meal like this one include:

• When you set the table and set out the serving dishes the night before, be sure to also set out dessert dishes and forks, as well as coffee mugs. This will make the transition from the main dinner to dessert much easier.
• Run and empty the dishwasher so you can load your prep dishes into it as you go. Your kitchen will be neater when guests arrive and it will be easier to ask them to help you with any last minute preparation.
• Ask guests to arrive 15-30 minutes before you plan to serve dinner. By this point in the process most of your heavy prep work will be done and you’ll largely be stirring and checking on the status of cooking dishes. You’ll be able to welcome guests easily and leave some wiggle room for anyone who might be running late.
• You won’t want to abandon your guests while you finish dinner, so consider setting out some olives, cheese, and bread near the kitchen so you can chat with them while you finish cooking. You may want to serve a different wine, or possibly some bubbles, with your pre-dinner nibbles to get everyone in the party spirit.
• If you plan to serve water or tea with your dinner, instead of or in addition to wine, pre-pour the drinks and stash the glasses in the fridge. You can set them out just before dinner is served.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Friends can carry dishes to the dining room, pour wine, or even rinse a dish or two.

Champagne?

In honor of the New Year, I’m posting my Champagne Risotto recipe. You can easily substitute a white wine (lightly oaked please) in place of the Champagne, but I prefer Champagne because it gives the risotto a depth of flavor that isn’t overly heavy. If nothing else, it’s a good reason to open your favorite bottle of bubbly. You of course can use any sparkling wine, so don’t feel like you have to break out a bottle of Grand Cru for this recipe, but hey, if you happen to be serving such a thing with appetizers or dessert, why not put a bit in your risotto?

Learn more about carnaroli, my preferred risotto rice

Recipe: Champagne Risotto

Details

• Difficulty: Easy if you’ve made risotto before, moderate if you haven’t. If this is your first risotto, be sure to read the Recipe for Success notes at the end of the post.
• Serves: 4 as a first course, 6-8 as a side dish
• Prep Time: 15 – 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 shallots, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice (Carnaroli recommended)
• 1 c. Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• ¾ c. grated Parmesan
• 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• Kosher or sea salt to taste

Garnish (Optional)

• Shaved parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• Drizzle of white truffle oil

Instructions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter and the olive oil in a separate medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted.
3. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, but not brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the rice and cook until it is well-coated with the oil/butter mixture and begins to turn translucent, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the wine and simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add about 1 cup of the warm broth from to the rice and stir regularly until the liquid is absorbed, about 3-5 minutes. You’ll know the liquid is absorbed when you run your spoon through the rice and liquid doesn’t immediately fill the bottom of the pan. Repeat, adding broth 1 cup at a time, until the rice is al dente (cooked through but still firm), about 18-22 minutes. While you don’t have to stir the rice the entire time, you shouldn’t leave the rice unattended for more than a minute or two and do stir the rice frequently.
7. Combine the parmesan, heavy cream, and pepper in a bowl.
8. When the risotto is done, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese, cream, and pepper mixture long with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add salt and additional parmesan to taste.

Recipe for Success

• To avoid a salty risotto, be sure to use unsalted butter and low-sodium chicken broth (or if possible, home-made chicken stock). You can always add salt later, but taking it out simply isn’t an option. Be sure to add additional salt at the very end and only after the parmesan has gone into the mix.
• Good quality parmesan is very important to this recipe. Absolutely avoid the stuff in the green can, and if possible, the pre-shredded stuff in the bag. If it’s available in your area, buy a block of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, and grate it very finely on the day you plan to make the risotto. Remember that the parmesan is the stand-out ingredient in this recipe, so you wan to start with a good quality cheese.
• Risotto rice is also very important to this dish. Arborio and Carnaroli rice can absorb much more water than standard long or short grain rice varieties without becoming mushy. Look for these varieties by name or for rice labeled specifically for risotto. I prefer Carnaroli and my research says it is the easier of the two types to work with, so hey, why make things overly complicated?
• Because your risotto will need most of your attention once it gets going, be sure to prepare all of your ingredients before you begin cooking. Just a few minutes of prep will go a long way toward making a great risotto.
• The goal is to create a creamy dish where the rice and parmesan flavors are the star. Big pieces of garlic and shallot will get in the way. One option is to chop your garlic and shallot using a min food processor so you get a very fine chop. Otherwise, spend a little extra time chopping your shallots and garlic.
• Be sure the butter and olive oil aren’t too hot when you add the garlic and shallots to the pan. You don’t want to brown the aromatics, but instead soften them.
• If you choose not to use Champagne or other bubbly, Sauvignon Blanc is a good wine to use in this recipe but any light, crisp wine will do. Avoid sweet wines or wines you wouldn’t drink.
• A 1 cup ladle is the easiest way to transfer the stock from one saucepan to the other.
• The time of day, the humidity in your area, and the specific type of rice you buy will all contribute to how long it takes your risotto to finish cooking and how much stock you need. You may not use all of your stock, or you may need to heat a little water in a tea kettle or in the microwave if you run out of stock and still need a little more liquid. The key is to start tasting the risotto at the 18 minute mark and keep adding liquid a little at a time until it is done.
• You can reduce or increase the amount of parmesan in this recipe to taste. If you aren’t sure how much parmesan you want, start with a ½ cup, taste the results, and increase as you go.
• Garnish this recipe in any way you want. For the simplest garnish, shave 1 or two pieces of parmesan over top of each serving. For a little color, sprinkle on the fresh Italian parsley. For a truly decadent addition, drizzle on the truffle oil. You can use all three, but remember that you want the risotto to be the star of the show.
• Serve the risotto immediately. Save leftovers (if there are any), to make risotto balls the next day.

I’m on a mission – to make and eat as many kinds of risotto as I can. I’m currently crafting the perfect parmesan risotto (in my opinion which is all that matters right now). I have the basic recipe down but am toying with little things like the oh-so-difficult choice between shallots and onions as a key aromatic, and understanding the nuances a sauvignon blanc brings as opposed to a chardonnay. Next week I’ll post the recipe, along with my first foray into food photography. Tomorrow night I’m experimenting with Red Wine Risotto with Chorizo – anything that brings creamy risotto, spicy chorizo, and manchego cheese together just seems to be a good thing.

A couple of other interesting risotto recipes I’ve come across are:

• Lemon Risotto – Nigella Lawson
  This recipe taught me how to use cream and an egg yolk to take the risotto to the next creamy level. Beware, don’t try this recipe if you don’t really like lemon.
• Latin Risotto -  M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger
  Given my easy access to Hatch chiles, I was immediately tempted to try this recipe. It’s a nice alternative to ye ol’ spanish rice when you’re serving any kind of Mexican or Southwestern inspired food.

And a couple I haven’t tried yet but am anxious to are:

• Truffled Red Wine Risotto with Parmesan Broth – Bon Appetite
  Just the idea of the parmesan broth is divine, and the truffle oil seems like an exquisit finish.
• Dirty Risotto – Giada De Laurentiis
  I’m really interested in this variation on the theme of dirty rice. Some small part of me worries that all of the “dirt” will somehow not fit well with the creamy nature of risotto, but there’s only one way to find out.

Monday night is risotto night in my house. Funny enough, my family isn’t as obsessed with risotto as I am, so I make it just for me and then think of really interesting things to do with the leftovers later in the week.

To make a long story short – this may be my first entry on risotto, but it most certainly won’t be my last. Also in the works – a video on how to cook the perfect risotto.