Ingredients:
1 Dumpling Squash
Drizzle Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Generous knob of Butter
100ml Single Cream
1 Leek
2 sprigs of fresh Sage
200g Arborio Rice
2 Rashers Bacon
100ml Gin
500ml Vegetable Stock (warm)
50g Parmesan Cheese
Taleggio Cheese
Method:
Cut the 'lid' from your squash and set aside. Scoop out the insides of the squash, and chop into small cubes. Boil the squash cubes for 15 minutes, then blend into a puree with butter and cream. Separate out the seeds, and rinse - place on a baking tray, and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 150 degrees Celsius until golden - about 15 minutes.
Finely slice the leek, and gently fry in the knob of butter with 1 sprig of fresh sage. (If your bacon is uncooked add now - mine was already cooked and added after the rice). Add risotto rice, and stir into the butter - cook until clear. Add gin and stir, until dissolved. Keep adding vegetable stock a ladle at a time, until absorbed, stirring as the rice simmers - for about 15 minutes. Stir in finely grated Parmesan and squash puree. Season to taste.
Scoop risotto into squash - garnish with fresh sage, toasted squash seeds, and slices of Taleggio cheese (made in Northern Italy, hand salted and preserved). Serve with garlic bread.
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