This Butternut, Sage Risotto with Chorizo & Toasted Pepitos is irresistibly delicious and never disappoints. Whilst each of the ingredients in this recipe play an important role, it’s when they all come together that they really explode. Butternut and sage are a match made in heaven and are definitely the underlying heroes of this risotto. As the butternut breaks down it adds a yummy, nutty, buttery creaminess to the dish which is just what your’e looking for in the perfect risotto. And then, when you add the herby, slightly peppery flavour of the sage, the saltiness of the Chorizo and nuttiness of the toasted pepitos, it’s elevated to the next level of deliciousness. The flavours are perfect foils for one another. The saltiness of the chorizo complements the sweetness of the butternut and the toasted pepitos add crunch and brings out the nutty flavour overall.
Ingredients
- Butternut
- Chorizo Sausages
- Red Onions
- Garlic
- Parmesan Cheese
- Chicken Stock
- Fresh sage
- Pepitos
- Fresh Red Chillis
- White wine
- Butter and Olive Oil for cooking
- Salt & Cracked pepper
Cheat Sheet tips for a great risotto
- You can use any Pumpkin for this risotto, but I love using Butternut because of it’s nutty, buttery flavour which works well with the toasted pepitos
- Risotto is easy to make. Just follow steps 4 – 10 in the Green Goddess Risotto with Asparagus and Prawns recipe for a perfect risotto base
- I like to grate the parmesan finely as it absorbs much faster when added to the dish. I use a micro planer or the fine edge of a standard grater
- Fry the chorizo in a dry pan and use the oil that is released to start the cooking of the risotto
Butternut, Sage Risotto with Chorizo & Toasted Pepitos
This Butternut, Sage Risotto with Chorizo & Toasted Pepitos is an irresistibly delicious, sweet, creamy risotto that's packed full of flavour. Sage and Butternut are a match made in heaven and then, when you add the chorizo and toasted Pepitos, you have sumptuous dish that just sings.
Ingredients
- 800g Butternut, skinned, de-pipped and chopped into smallish cubes
- 2 Whole Chorizo Sausages crumbled / chopped finely
- 2 Medium Red Onions chopped finely
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4 Garlic Cloves chopped finely
- 2 Litres Chicken Stock
- 1 Bunch Fresh sage
- 100g Pepitos
- 3-4 Fresh Red Chillis chopped finely
- 1 Cup White wine
- 100g Butter
- Olive Oil for cooking
- Salt & Cracked pepper
Instructions
Stock Preparation
Heat up the stock on a stove
Once boiling, turn down the heat and keep the stock hot, ready for adding to the risotto
Butternut Preparation
Heat 50ml oil & 50g butter in a large flat pan until melted and starting to bubble
Add the butternut and stir to coat in the butter for a few minutes
Add 2-3 soup ladles of stock into the pan bring to the boil
Season with salt and cracked pepper
Cover with a lid and simmer until the butternut is soft and can be mushed easily
Remove from the pan and keep warm until the rice is ready
Wipe the pan clean in preparation for cooking the Chorizo
Chorizo Preparation
Remove the skin from the Chorizo
Crumble or dice finely
Fry in the same flat bottomed pan that you cooked the butternut in. (The Chorizo is naturally oily, so you do not have to add any butter / fat into the pan)
When cooked and slightly crispy, remove from the pan and set aside
Do not throw out the oil as this will be used as part of the fat base to cook the risotto rice
Pepito Preparation (This can be done while you are cooking the risotto)
Add the pepitos to a new dry frying pan
Roast on a high heat until they start to toast slightly
Remove from the heat, set aside and keep warm
Rice Preparation
Add 100g butter to Chorizo oil, melt and heat until bubbling
Add the diced onion and sweat until translucent
Add the garlic and stir for a few minutes
Add the white wine to deglaze the pan (you can do this before or after you add the rice)
Add the rice and stir constantly until well coated by the buttery, winey mixture and slightly toasted
Add the butternut back to the pan with the rice
Add half the fresh sage and half the chorizo
Add the hot stock, ladle by ladle in small quantities, making sure to stir constantly
The rice is ready when it soft but still has a slightly firm texture to the bite
When the rice is ready and creamy in consistency, stir in a cup of finely grated parmesan
Add salt and cracked pepper to season
Remove from the heat,
To Serve
Sprinkle with the remaining fresh sage, chorizo and Pepitos
Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan and the fresh red chillis and serve straight away
Notes
If you are vegetarian, just leave off the Chorizo.
