By Chef Tristin Papenfuse
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 40
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
Squash:
12 oz Butternut Squash – Cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tsp. Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
Risotto:
6 c. Chicken Stock
6 tbsp. Butter
2-4 oz. Pancetta – Diced
½ c. Shallots – minced (2 large)
1 ½ c. Arborio Rice
½ c. Dry White Wine
1 tsp. Saffron Threads
1 c. Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss squash with olive oil. About ½ tsp. salt and about ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper. Spread squash over a sheet pan and roast for 20-30minutes until tender, tossing once during cook time. Once done, set aside.
3. Heat chicken stock through in lidded pot. Leave on low heat to simmer.
4. In a heavy bottom dutch oven or a heavy –bottomed pot, melt butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The shallots should be translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add two ladles of stock and the saffron to the rice mixture. Stir and simmer until the rice has absorbed the stock, about 5-10 minutes. Continue to add in the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, and then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente. Approximately 30 minutes total.
5. Off the heat, fold in the squash and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.
CHEF’S NOTES:
-I like to use precut butternut squash in a pinch. If I have the time, I will get a whole squash and cut it up.
-Sometimes, the mixture will need more or less stock. Add as much as you need. I prefer my risotto more al dente, so I use less stock.
-This dish requires a lot of attention, it’s not like normal rice, so make sure you stay put in the galley.
About Chef Tristin:
Chef Tristin Papenfuse is a yacht chef and co-owner of Viaggio Charter, based out of Seattle, Washington. She began cooking in the kitchen with her mother and developed a passion for creating wonderful tastes and flavors early on. Tristin is a self-trained chef and takes every opportunity to learn something new from her peers and experimentation with new ingredients.
Tristin’s forte is seasonal and local Pacific Northwest fare, but she also enjoys working with any type of cuisine she can. She has been quoted as saying, “Even if you don’t think there is anything to eat in your fridge, chances are pretty good that I can make something out of what you do have.”
Growing up in Western Florida led to Tristin’s passion for boating, which she and her husband now share. Currently she masters her creations aboard their yacht, VIAGGIO, during charters in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska throughout the summer. In addition, Tristin works freelance on yachts between SE Alaska and the Bahamas.
Tristin counts herself among the lucky few that are able to make a living while enjoying their passion. Every chance she gets, Tristin and Viaggio Charter try to give back to the community by working with local school fundraisers, SeaFair’s Special Needs Cruise, Epoch Expeditions and other non-profit organizations.
