Happy Thanksgiving, from Italy!?! - Winter Squash Risotto

When someone mentions winter squash, I will be the first to admit, Italy is the furthest thing from my mind.  Let's face it; I have been conditioned to respond with, "MMMMMM, Pie".  Especially around the Thanksgiving season.  But American cooks are not the only ones who prepare this New World vegetable.  Oh no.  In fact, there is a traditional Risotto recipe from Lombardy (Italy) that is centered around winter squash.  Which makes me VERY happy, because I love all things risotto anyway.

OK, I will admit that I am not making this in the traditional way.  I am using some turkey stock instead of the traditional vegetable stock of Onions, Carrots, Celery and Leeks.  I did add part of a Leek to the Turkey Stock while it simmered though.  So I guess this is Pseudo-Traditional.  ;)

I chose Red Kuri squash because it has a chestnut like flavor (very northern Italian) and is only mildly sweet.  Most importantly though, is that it's a dryer squash.  This means that it will hold it's shape better while cooking.  Kobacha or Hubbard would be another great choice if you cannot find a Kuri or any of the actual Italian varieties like Berettina Piacentina or Zucca Blu.

I went with the traditional Grana Padano from Lombardy as opposed to Parmigiano-Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna.  I think its flavor pairs a little more smoothly with the squash.  A touch of Chervil rounds the flavors out nicely, but it's not an absolute necessity.

Risotto con Zucca

12 oz Kuri Squash
3 1/2 - 4 cups Turkey Stock
2 inches of Leek, split
4 TB Butter (divided)
1 Shallot Minced
1 1/4 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay
1/3 cup Grana Padano, grated
1 TB Creme Fraiche or Mascarpone
optional - Dried Chervil

First you must dissect your squash.

Slice it in half. (Unlike Butternut squash, Kuri has less meat and more seeds)

Scoop out the seeds (being a dryer squash, the seed come out fairly easily in one large lump)

I usually quarter the squash, simply because it makes peeling a little easier. (12 oz is about 1/2 of a Kuri squash)

Peel and slice the squash into fairly thin slices.

Then cut the slices into little "elongated cubes" (the smaller you dice the squash the faster it will cook)

Begin heating the Turkey Stock with a split Leek in a small saucepan.

Melt 2 TB Butter in a separate saute pan.

Add Squash and Shallot, sauteing until the shallot is translucent. (Yes, it looks like a lot of squash, but the rice swells, it will be OK)

Add Rice and saute until it smells nutty.

Pour in the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed.

Begin adding the Turkey Stock, one ladle-ful at a time, stirring until each addition has been absorbed before adding the next.

Once the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 TB of Butter, Grana Padano and Creme Fraiche.

Cover with a towel and allow to set for 3-5 minutes.

If you like, and I DO like, hit it with a little dried Chervil before serving (I cannot find fresh Chervil at this time of year)

Then dish yourself up a huge helping and enjoy not only a taste of Italy, but a taste of Thanksgiving as well.

Mangia!!
~~

There's No Gnocchi like Pumpkin Gnocchi, Like No Gnocchi I Know!

It's squash season again...  And I have been craving winter squash like crazy lately.  After I whet my whistle on the pumpkin biscuits a few days ago, I decided to revisit something I have been working on for awhile now....  Pumpkin Gnocchi.

I have been struggling with this one.  Mainly because of a lack of pumpkin flavor.  If I lower the potato content and add more flour, then they end up doughy.  If I don't add enough flour, then they disappear in a miasma of water and steam resulting in Potato/Pumpkin soup -- Very Frustrating.  I have finally turned to a somewhat unconventional ingredient that seems to have worked rather well.

I am sure I have broken the Gnocchi rules on this one.  The Gnocchi gods will rage against my machinations and I shall henceforth be labeled as a gnocchi heretic.  

I used.....   Potato Flour.  (you may all raise the back of your hand to your mouth in horror)

The main problem has been moisture content.  Pumpkin puree can be REALLY watery, and the flour can only absorb so much.  So I thought I would help it out by allowing the potato to absorb some of the pumpkin's juicy goodness in the form of flour instead of actual cooked potato....  This drops the overall moisture content, cause cooked potatoes are kind of wet too, and allows me to use a full 2 cups of puree instead of having to regulate myself to only1 cup, and thus diminishing the power of the pumpkin.

Tossed with Saged Brown Butter and a little Parmigiano-Reggiano and you have a succulent dish just brimming with autumnal goodness.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

Printable Recipe
1/2 cup (3.5 oz) (100 g) Semolina
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Nutmeg, freshly grated
2 cups (1 lb) (455 g) Pumpkin Puree
1/3 - 2/3 cup (2 - 4 oz) (57 - 114 g) Potato Flour  (this will depend on the moisture content of your puree)
1/2 cup (4 oz) (114 g) Butter
Sage Leaves
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Combine Semolina, Kosher Salt, Black pepper and Nutmeg in a small bowl.

Place Pumpkin Puree in a bowl and add the Semolina mixture, stirring to combine.

Add 1/3 cup of the Potato Flour; Stirring to combine.

If the dough is still too soft and sticky, add another ounce (28 g) of the Potato Flour.

If it's STILL too sticky, add the remaining ounce of Potato Flour.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until the dough becomes slightly elastic.

Cover with Plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle your work surface and a baking sheet with more Potato Flour (though you can use AP flour) and divide the  dough in 4 equal portions.

Working with 1 piece at a time, roll into a "snake"

Cut 1 inch chunks with a sharp knife.

Place a chunk in your palm and roll the back side of a fork over it.

Place the gnocchi on a floured baking sheet when finished and continue in this way until all the dough has been used.

Give the gnocchi a final dusting of either Potato flour or AP flour and let rest while you........

Make Browned Butter

I have done this a couple times before, but I am going to cover it again, for it is a subject that is near and dear to my taste buds.

Melt 4 oz of Unsalted Butter in a sauce pan while you roughly chop about 4 Sage leaves.

Add the leaves to the melted butter (it will bubble a little as it cooks the water out of the leaves)

When the proteins settle out and begin to brown, remove the saucepan from the flame and filter through 2-3 layers of cheese cloth.

And there you have it;  Saged Brown butter in all it's exotic deliciousness...

 Bringin' it ALL together..... 

Cook gnocchi in Salted boiling water, a few at a time (I did it in 4 batches)

Remove them with a strainer when they begin to float.

Place them in a warmed bowl and drizzle with a little of the browned butter.

Repeat with the next batch; Boil, skim, drizzle.... Until all the gnocchi have been cooked.

Toss gently with a little more chopped Sage and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serve with more Parmigiano-Reggiano......

And DIG in!!!

Yes, cross over the the dark side....   it's ALL kinds of good!

Mangia!!
~~

A Tale of 2 Pies - Honey Butternut Pie

Our tale of two pies continues with -- Honey Butternut Pie, Also known as Good Ol' Pumpkin Pie (I don't think I have every used an 'actual pumpkin' to make pumpkin pie) This is extremely simple and only dirties the food processor bowl, unlike the Mapled Butternut Chiffon Pie in the previous post.

One of the things my dad likes to do with his Pâte Brisée, is to exchange 1/2 of the total Flour (the total being 1 1/2 cups) for Spelt Flour (3/4 cup). He doesn't use the cake flour like I usually do. Spelt is lower in gluten, just like cake flour, so it has the same effect of tenderizing the pastry, but adds that subtle 'nutty' flavor, which is great for this particular pie, as well as apple pie, rhubarb pie, pecan pie and any sort of savory pie. I think I will be filing this factoid away for future reference.

Honey Butternut Pie

(AKA: Pumpkin Pie)

1/2 recipe of Pâte Brisée in a 9 inch pie plate
2 cups of Butternut squash
1/4 cup Orange Blossom Honey
1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Mace
1/8 tsp Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp Ground Clove
2 eggs
1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Make 1/2 recipe of Pâte Brisée (using spelt if you like)and line a 9 inch Pie plate.

Retrieve your food processor with blade attachment;
Add Squash, Dark Brown Sugar, Salt, Honey; process until smooth;

Add the Spices and process some more.

Add 1 egg at a time, processing between each. (you can crack them through the feeding tube)

With open feeding tube, slowly pour in 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

When well blended, stop food processor and pour squash custard into the pie shell.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until the center still jiggles a little bit (Remember, this is a custard pie, you do not want to over-cook it or it will be dry and it will crack)

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack until room temperature is achieved, then move to the refrigerator.

Serve with Whipped Cream.... Lots and LOTS of Whipped Cream... ;)

Mangia!!
~~

P.S. Sadly, this will be my last post until Friday after Thanksgiving. Lot's of prep work for the Dungeness Crab Stuffed Peperoncini, Artichoke Wonton Cups, Prosciutto Wrapped Sweet Potatoes, Truffled Goat Cheese & Pancetta Salad and the Waldorf Salad while settin up the Deep Fryer for the Turkey (Gotta dunk the turkey with water in the pot to measure a safe level fro the Peanut Oil)

All y'all have a blessedly Happy Thanksgiving!!!