Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Risotto With Toasted Hazelnuts Crispy Fried Sage Leaves Food

CREAMY VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO WITH TOASTED HAZELNUTS & CRISPY FRIED SAGE LEAVES

Steps:

• Set a large, flat skillet over medium heat. Add hazelnuts and stir frequently until just beginning to get fragrant and light brown, 3-4 minutes. You'll want to remove them from the heat before you think they're fully toasted, as they'll keep toasting for a bit after they're off the heat. Pour the hazelnuts into a small bowl and set aside. Allow the pan cool then wipe clean with a paper towel.
• Set pan back on burner over medium heat. Add olive oil. When hot enough that a small drop of water sizzles in the oil, drop in sage leaves. Fry sage leaves in oil until the edges pale and just slightly start to curl, about 20 seconds. Remove quickly with a fork and set on a paper towel. Sprinkle leaves with a bit of kosher salt or fine-grain sea salt and set aside to cool and crisp up.
• Add onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon at first and then occasionally, until very soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
• While the onion cooks, set a medium saucepan over low heat on an adjacent burner. Add the vegetable broth and the miso. Bring to a simmer, stirring to distribute the miso throughout the broth.
• Increase heat for onions to medium low and add rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice begins to turn golden in a few spots here and there and it smells nutty, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one more minute.
• Stir in the wine. Cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates. Stir the broth/miso mixture and then add 1 cup to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is mostly absorbed (3-4 minutes) and your wooden spoon leaves a starchy trail when you drag a figure-8 through the risotto. Add 1 more cup broth and repeat, stirring until absorbed. Add another cup of broth and cook until absorbed.
• Add pumpkin, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup more of the broth mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until creamy and the rice is al dente. Taste risotto to test that the rice is done and see if you'd like to add more salt and pepper. If the risotto is too dry (you want it "loose" - so that it spreads in the bowl or on your plate when serving) then stir in the remaining broth, a little at a time.
• Ladle risotto into bowls or onto a plate and garnish with sage leaves and a few bits of toasted hazelnut.

CREAMY VEGAN PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Steps:

• Carefully add the vegetable broth and pumpkin to a medium-to-large pot, then whisk until evenly combined. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat while you prep the rest of the ingredients; the broth should remain at this temperature when adding to the risotto.
• Pan-Fry the Sage (Optional): Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat; if you do not wish to fry additional sage for garnish, skip to step 3. Otherwise, add 4 - 6 whole sage leaves to the oil once warm; pan-fry for 45-60 seconds, until the leaves darken and start to brown only slightly. Remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate; set aside until serving. Keep the oil in the pan, to continue making the risotto.
• Add the shallot, garlic, and sage to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the garlic starts to brown. Then, add the nutmeg and arborio rice to the pan and mix well. Toast the arborio rice for 2-3 minutes, until the rice becomes more translucent. Toasting the rice adds more flavor to the final dish.
• add the white wine to the pan to deglaze it, scraping off any burnt bits (a.k.a. flavor!) from the bottom of the pan into the wine. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan or been absorbed by the rice.
• Start by adding 3/4 cup (180 mL) of the warmed pumpkin broth to the pan with the rice. Reduce the heat to Medium-Low and stir the mixture frequently, to ensure all grains of rice are cook evenly. Once you can drag your spoon through the mixture and it leaves a dry path, add an additional ½ cup of warm broth. Repeat this process with the remaining broth.
• Begin to taste the Risotto for doneness at around the 14 minutes mark, though it may take 20-25 minutes to cook in total. The Rice will be creamy but have a slightly al dente texture once finished.
• Once the Risotto has cooked, turn the heat off and stir in the grated vegan parmesan; season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
• Serve warm; I recommend topping each plate with a small drizzle of olive oil, extra sprinkle of parmesan, pumpkin seeds, and a pan-fried sage leaf. Risotto is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and are best reheated on the stovetop with an extra splash of vegetable broth.