I was sent Manu Feildel new book “more please” and book marked a few recipes I wanted to try, but I decided to try this risotto first as I just love risotto. his book is a mix of Malaysian style recipes, French recipes and a few other of his favourites. I saw a few that looked amazing and I cant wait to try them soon. the risotto is made with roasted butternut squash, roasting it makes the flavour more sweet and intense. It one of the creamiest risottos I have ever made or tried. I love Manu from watching him as a judge on my kitchen rules Australia. I am not always a huge fan of lemon in savoury dishes so I was optimistic, but it really was so tasty. I got back from India the day before yesterday and I still feel like I’m 5 and a half hours ahead so today I was up really early and I have already watched Arthur Christmas and elf. I just love this time of year. it was weird being in India and it being so sunny it didn’t feel at all like Christmas time but coming back to the cold British weather and seeing all the decorations around is making me excited, I feel really unorganised this year and haven’t done any shopping yet so that’s my plan for today to try and get started. every one I’m my family laugh at me as I still get so excited about Christmas, my partner calls me a elf. I have been counting down for months. I don’t want to grow up just yet.

recipe

• 500g (1 lb 2 0z) butternut pumpkin
• 60 ml olive oil
• about 20 lemon thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves smashed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 litre chicken stock or vegetable stock for vegetarian
• 1 brown onion finely sliced
• 250g Arborio rice
• 150ml white wine
• juice of one lemon
• 100g butter cut into cubes
• 50g grated parmesan

preheat the oven to 160c

cut the pumpkin in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. drizzle each half with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and sprinkle a few sprigs of lemon thyme and a crushed garlic clove over each half. season with salt and pepper.

roast for one hour until tender, remove from the oven and let cool a little then scrape the flesh away from the skin and put into a food processor and pulse until smooth. set aside.

pour the stock into a pan, bring to the boil and turn the heat down and leave to simmer. meanwhile place a large deep frying pan on a medium heat add the remaining oil, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, but hasn’t taken on any colour, then add the rice and stir until the grains have been coated with the oil, then add the wine and eight or nine sprigs of lemon thyme and let it reduce for one or two minutes. reduce the heat to low and add one or two ladles of stock and cook stirring occasionally until the liquid has absorbed repeat this step with the remaining stock until the rice is just cooked or slightly aldente

to finish add the lemon juice and pumpkin puree, when it is nicely incorporated add half of the butter and parmesan. season to taste with salt an pepper. serve immediately in shallow bowls and add the remaining butter and parmesan and a sprig of lemon thyme.