Mushroom Risotto with Acorn Squash and Duck Confit from Healthy Delicious

Although it’s only mid-September, the air is starting to have a crisp chill to it that leaves me craving comfort foods.

Mushrooms are perfect for this time of year – they compliment my other favorite fall flavors like game and squash perfectly, and they can be used to add volume to a dish without adding a lot of calories.

In the summer I tend to eat a lot of portabellas and other firm mushrooms because they’re great for grilling, but in the fall I turn my attention to smaller, earthier mushrooms. For this risotto, I used a blend of porcini, shitake, black, and oyster mushrooms that contributed a bold flavor and varied texture to the completed dish.

• 3 1/2 c. boiling water
• 1 oz. mixed dried mushrooms (such as porcini, shitake, black, and oyster)
• 1 small acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
• 2 Tbs butter, divided
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. arborio rice
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• sea salt and cracked black pepper
• duck leg confit, shredded

Roughly chop the mushrooms – you want to preserve their texture, but ensure that they are bite-sized so that a knife is not needed to eat the final dish. Place mushrooms in a large bowl, and pour boiling water over them. Let the mushrooms steep for about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the broth.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the squash and boil until a fork can easily pierce the flesh – about 15 minutes. Scoop the flesh from the peel and puree using a food processor or blender.

Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and 1 Tbs of butter. Once melted, add the green onion and garlic. Cook about 1 minute, or until garlic softens and becomes fragrant. Stir in the rice, and cook about 3 minutes, or until only a small dot of white remains on each grain. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the mushroom broth ½ cup at a time, allowing the liquid to be fully absorbed before each new addition. Continue this process until all of the broth has been used and the rice is fully cooked.

Heat the remaining butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Fold ¾ of the mushrooms, sage, thyme, and squash puree into the rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide between four dishes. Top each dish with reserved mushrooms and the duck confit.

This post from Featured Contributor Healthy Delicious.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 21st, 2009 at 8:42 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.