Pumpkin and Thyme Risotto

Pumpkin and Thyme Risotto

1/2 kg of pumpkin cut in half (i used Jap)

A handful of fresh thyme from the garden (scrape leaves off the stalk and throw stalk out)

Rosemary leaves handful cut finely up

Onion 1/2 small one chopped finely

Olive oil

Garlic cloves squashed with spatula

Rice (approx 250g)

1 tablespoon of Grana Padano Parmesan Cheese

200ml approx of real chicken stock (purest stock better taste!)

little splash of white wine

tablespoon of real butter (lurpak)

Bake your pumpkin in the oven on 180 degrees for approx 40 minutes.  Cut in half drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle a little of the herbs over them.  Place the garlic cloves inside each groove as picture below.

Once the pumpkin seems nice and baked and soft take off the skin and place garlic aside. Process the pumpkin in diced pieces in a mixer

Place saucepan on the stove with the chicken stock warming up in it

Place chopped onion into a saucepan and add the garlic and little olive oil and cook until onion is opaque but not brown.  Then when this is nicely done place your rice into the onion mix

Remove the garlic pieces and discard

  Place a small amount of chicken stock and white wine with a little thyme in it into the rice mixture and stir until just covered and bubbling gently.  Every time the pan starts to dry out add more and stir.  Rice cooks in approx 10 minutes so keep this up.  When the rice is nearly cooked then you can add your pumpkin and  at the last minute add the butter and fresh grana padano cheese.   

If you like a drier risotto then add the pumpkin slowly and that way you can adjust the consistency to your desire.