Published September 1, 2005.
To perfect our butternut squash risotto recipe, we concentrated on developing the squash flavor. First, we diced and sautéed the squash to bring out its flavor. Next, we found that adding the squash in two stages, half with the toasted rice and half just before serving, gave us great squash flavor and preserved its delicate texture. Finally, we sautéed the flavorful squash seeds and fibers in the pan, then steeped them in chicken broth before straining the liquid to use for cooking the rice in our butternut squash risotto recipe.
Infusing the chicken broth with the squash's seeds and fibers helps to reinforce the earthy squash flavor. We found that a 2-pound squash consistently yields a cup or so more than the 3 1/2 cups in step 1; this can be added to the skillet along with the squash scrapings in step 2. To make this dish vegetarian, vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth, but the resulting risotto will have more pronounced sweetness.
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