Some people thing risotto is a fussy dish.  But after you make it 20 or 30 times, you realize that risotto isn’t an arduous production.  If you’ve got some cans of stock and a container of rice in your pantry, risotto will always be an excellent one-pot dinner that’ll use up your leftover odds and ends in the fridge.  In the fall and winter, when my landlord decides that the NYC law requiring heat under 55 degrees is purely subjective and there’s nothing good on TV till 9pm, risotto is my go-to dish.

Tonight, I had a few inches of Eight Days ‘o Wheat left in a growler from Whole Foods and half a can of pumpkin puree, stock, rice, and a humongous sage bush growing out back.  It’s oddly warm in Queens tonight, but it was risotto night none the less.  Here’s how to take the taste of Amy into your own kitchen:

2 medium shallots, diced

1 cup risotto rice

several bunches of sage

two cans College Inn stock (Kitchen Basics is better, but my f’in Key Foods never has it)

leftover beer

half a can of pumpkin puree (like, half or 3/4 cup?)

fresh sage

nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice to taste

grated Parm, or a blog of Parm and a microplane (better)

BUTTAH

In a sautee pan, sautee shallots in butter until translucent.  Add a handful or two of julienned sage.  There is nothing in the world like sage and butter, nothing.  Once the butter gets a little bubbly with the sage, dump in pumpkin and a cup of stock.  Stir for a few minutes to get warmed up, then turn off heat.  If you leave the heat on, the pumpkin is so think it will trap the steam bubbles, and then BLOW UP.

In a wok or dutch oven, heat up a little butter (or oil) and then toast the rice for a few minutes, then start adding stock. Here’s the major lesson I’ve learned about risotto- keep the heat consistent!  My mistake is always to turn up, turn down, whatever.  Keep the liquid at the strong simmer, and just never add too much liquid that it cools down the pan.  If you want to get another pot going and keep the stock at a constant simmer, go ahead, but my method is to put the cans on top of the stove so they warm up a little.  Just take the paper labels off so you don’t catch anything on fire.

Add, stir, add, stir, add, stir.  Taste, and then start adding the beer.  If I did this again, I’d use a solid stout, Guiness is my old stand by for cooking.  I had a light but flavorful beer on hand, and it did an ok job.  Keep going until the rice is cooked through and plump but not squshy.  Turn off the heat, dump in your pumpkin mixture, and as much damn cheese as you want.  Finish with spices to taste, stir one more time, and serve.