Risotto alla ZuccaMantuan Pumpkin Risotto

Start the vegetable broth, skim and lower the heat

• 1 Peel and halve 100g broth onion; cut 80g carrot and 60g celery into 4cm lengths.
• 2 Put the vegetables and 10g parsley stems in a heavy pot and add 1600ml water.
• 3 Bring to the boil uncovered over medium heat in 6–8 minutes.
• 4 Skim the white foam with a ladle and lower to very low heat.

Prepare the pumpkin in two forms and arrange all ingredients

• 1 Meanwhile(While cutting the pumpkin) keep the broth uncovered over very low heat and skim every 10 minutes.
• 2 Remove skin, seeds and fibres to obtain 500g net pumpkin; cut 250g into 1cm dice and 250g into rough 2cm pieces, in separate bowls.
• 3 Finely grate 50g Parmigiano Reggiano and set on a plate.
• 4 Cut 30g of the 45g cold butter into 1cm cubes and refrigerate; put the remaining 15g on a small plate and refrigerate for sage butter.
• 5 Divide 30g cooking butter into 12g, 8g and 10g portions.
• 6 Split 12g amaretti: coarsely crush 6g and finely crumble 6g by hand onto separate small dishes.
• 7 Very finely chop 60g onion.

Strain and measure 1000ml broth and hold around 85°C

• 1 Continue simmering uncovered over very low heat until 40 minutes total from starting.
• 2 Line a sieve over a bowl with a clean cloth and gently strain; do not press the vegetables, using only liquid that drains naturally.
• 3 Measure: if more than 1000ml, take only 1000ml; if less, top up with boiling water to 1000ml and return to a small pan.
• 4 Keep uncovered over very low heat at about 85°C.

Make pumpkin purée and browned cubes, keeping the cubes warm

• 1 Meanwhile(While the pumpkin braises) check that the uncovered broth stays around 85°C over very low heat.
• 2 Melt 8g of the 30g cooking butter in a frying pan over medium heat; add the 250g of 2cm pumpkin pieces and brown for 3 minutes.
• 3 Add 120ml warm broth, cover and braise over medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes.
• 4 Coarsely mash against the pan side with a wooden spoon; add 1g of the 5g salt, grate in 0.2g nutmeg and mix in 6g coarsely crushed amaretti.
• 5 If wet, uncover and reduce over medium heat for about 2 minutes to a thick purée; transfer to a bowl.
• 6 Wipe the pan with paper and melt 10g cooking butter over medium heat.
• 7 Spread in the 250g of 1cm pumpkin cubes without overlapping and sauté for 5–6 minutes, letting the faces brown without excessive movement.
• 8 Sprinkle with 1g salt and turn off before the corners collapse; transfer to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm near the broth pot.

Cook a sweet onion soffritto without colour

• 1 Melt 12g cooking butter in a heavy broad-based sauté pan over low heat.
• 2 Add 60g finely chopped onion and cook over low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring constantly.
• 3 Add 1g salt and cook another 1 minute, drawing out moisture.

Toast the rice and evaporate the wine

• 1 Raise the soffritto pan to medium heat and add 180g unwashed Carnaroli.
• 2 Toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly as though rubbing the grains along the base.
• 3 Pour all 60ml room-temperature dry white wine down the pan side and boil over medium heat while stirring to remove the alcohol smell.

Add broth in stages and incorporate the pumpkin purée

• 1 Meanwhile(Between broth additions) fill 2 plates with boiling water to warm them.
• 2 Add 1 ladle of 85°C broth, about 120ml, and stir from the bottom in a figure 8.
• 3 Whenever liquid recedes enough for a spoon trail to remain briefly, add another roughly 120ml broth.
• 4 After 8 minutes from the first addition, stir in all the pumpkin purée.
• 5 Continue over medium heat, adding broth, for about 16–18 minutes total, using approximately 760ml in this stage.
• 6 Hold the remaining 120ml broth at 85°C for steps 8 and 9.

Add the warm pumpkin cubes and remove from the heat

• 1 Add the warm 250g of 1cm pumpkin cubes and fold broadly only 2–3 times to distribute.
• 2 Add 60ml reserved broth, heat for just 30 seconds and turn off completely.

Mantecare with cold butter and Parmigiano, then brown sage butter during the rest

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 2-minute rest) melt the reserved 15g cold butter in a small pan over medium-low heat; when foaming, add 6 sage leaves.
• 2 Meanwhile(Continue) shake the pan for 60–90 seconds until the butter is hazelnut brown and sage edges crisp, then turn off.
• 3 Meanwhile(While making sage butter) empty and dry the 2 warmed plates.
• 4 Add all 30g refrigerated butter in 1cm cubes to the pan off the heat and mix quickly with a wooden spoon.
• 5 Add 40g of the 50g grated Parmigiano, draw and toss the pan towards you and work from the base with the spoon for 30–60 seconds.
• 6 If firm, add the reserved 60ml broth in 30ml portions until the surface waves when the pan tilts.
• 7 Taste, add salt within the remaining 2g allowance and grind in 0.5g black pepper.
• 8 Cover and rest for 2 minutes.

Spread on warm plates and finish with sage butter and amaretti

• 1 Divide the risotto between 2 warm plates and tap the bases lightly on the worktop 2–3 times to spread it flat.
• 2 Divide the sage butter and leaves between the 2 plates.
• 3 Divide the 6g finely crushed amaretti and remaining 10g Parmigiano over both plates and grind over 0.5g black pepper.