Baked butternut and gruyère risotto

Ingredients:

• 2 small (550g) butternuts 
• Salt and milled pepper 
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil blend + extra for sautéing 
• 2 onions, chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 6 fresh sage leaves + extra fried leaves for serving 
• 1 cup (200g) arborio (risotto) rice 
• Pinch allspice 
• ½ tsp (3ml) ground cumin 
• 1 cup (250ml) dry white wine 
• 4 cups (1L) chicken stock 
• 2 cups (125g) finely grated gruyere cheese (parmesan will work too) 
• ⅓ cup (80g) mixed pumpkin seeds and raw almonds, toasted and chopped 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Slice butternut lengthwise into 3cm-wide wedges and remove seeds. 
3. Place on a roasting tray, season and drizzle with oil. Set aside. 
4. Heat a glug of oil in an ovenproof pan and sauté onion gently for 8 minutes until translucent. 
5. Add garlic, sage, rice and spices, and fry for 3-4 minutes. 
6. Pour in wine and cook while stirring for 4 minutes until reduced almost completely. 
7. Add stock, season and cover. 
8. Bake risotto dish and butternut in the same oven for about 30 minutes until rice has absorbed almost all the liquid and butternut is tender and browned. 
9. Remove both from oven and stir risotto with a metal spoon to release the starch (this will create a creamy sauce). 
10. Stir half the cheese through risotto. 
11. Serve risotto topped with butternut wedges, and scattered with remaining cheese, crispy sage leaves and chopped seeds and nuts. 

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