butternut squash risotto, balsamic, thyme

In honor of Paris’ ridiculously cold temperatures, Casa Emiglia has been serving up the sort of foods that can only be eaten out of a bowl with a spoon, as the steam fogs the glasses that one is wearing on a regular basis for the first time since freshman year of college after a duel between one’s contact lenses and one’s electric heaters. This weekend, dear reader, you will be having a taste of some of those foods. I hope they find you well and warm.

The Country Boy made a comment to that effect when I served up this risotto, more vegetable than rice, more broth than starch, for dinner tonight. It’s the kind of soupy risotto I saw an Italian chef make on A vos régions, a travel and cooking show I’ve become addicted to since deciding that the best possible way to spend my time until spring is wrapped up in a fleece blanket on my couch, watching Arte (channel 7), drinking endless cups of coffee and occasionally tackling ridiculously lofty projects, like making homemade brioche (a venture that I promise you’ll hear more about soon).

But before I let my parentheses get away with me: risotto. I love risotto; I’ve loved it ever since my first one, served in a bowl/plate (my favorite eating receptacle [yes, I have a favorite eating receptacle]) at Fred’s at Barney’s with my father many, many moons ago. It was Christmastime; we were on a gift-buying errand for my mother, and in exchange for braving the crowds with him, my father bought me lunch at Fred’s, where I opted for a parmesan risotto. I fell in love with the creamy grains and the texture halfway between soup and pasta.

Risotto of this kind is a special occasion dinner; on most nights, I prefer dinner to be a bit more vegetable heavy, but butternut squash lends the same creaminess as butter and parmesan, if not the same richness. A little bit of cream cheese and crème fraiche adds just enough subtle silkiness to the sauce, made rich of its own accord with slowly caramelized onions, which I made early in the day for a quicker dinnertime preparation when I got home from work and therefore had to Country Boy-proof with a friendly Post-It note.

All in all, I think he found the wait worth it: a warm bowl of risotto on a cold evening is a pretty nice thing to wait for.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Balsamic Caramelized Onions and Thyme

1 Tbsp. butter
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
salt, to taste
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) butternut squash, diced
100 g (~3.5 ounces) arborio or other short-grain rice
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
4 cups hot water or broth
1 Tbsp. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. crème fraiche or sour cream
2 branches fresh thyme

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the butter, onions and a hefty pinch of salt over medium-low heat. Cook, covered, for about half an hour, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Cook until the liquid has reduced and the vinegar becomes sticky and sweet, about 5 minutes.

Increas heat to medium, and add the butternut squash and the rice. Cook about three minutes without stirring, then add the white wine, if using (I only do if I have a bottle already opened, which is infrequent) or half a cup of hot water or broth, and stir to loosen the brown bits from the bottom. Add the water or broth by the half cupful, stirring to encorporate and adding more water or broth only when the liquid in the pan has been absorbed. Continue in this manner for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but still toothsome. You may not need all the water or broth.

Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the cream cheese, crème fraiche and thyme. Serve with parmesan cheese or on its own.