Risotto is my number one comfort food. Gooey starch bound together with the intermingling flavors of bacon, white wine, chicken broth, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese? Regardless of which definition you prefer, it is simply impossible for risotto to suck in any way that sucking is currently understood. It's a perfect meal for a damp autumn night, and the use of butternut squash and beef broth in this recipe only adds to the seasonal appropriateness. Think of it as sweater-and-jeans weather that you eat with a spoon.
Bon Appetit has unfortunately omitted this recipe from their website, but for you back-issue nerds, it's in the October 2008 edition. Otherwise, The Bitten Word has thoughtfully re-upped the step-by-step instructions for this exemplary autumnal feast. And as they astutely point out in their breakdown, risotto is not as difficult to make as it is often claimed to be. The notion that it will burn if you stop stirring it for even a moment is a commonly repeated line which I'm beginning to doubt ever had any truth associated with it. I've been making risotto since I was a bachelor in my 20s, and if a single guy with a lava lamp and a leopard-print throw on his futon was able to pull it off, I'm pretty confident that you can too. (Aside: In the ensuing years, my interior design aesthetic has matured to some extent. Mercifully, I might add.)
That said, proper risotto does take about an hour to prepare from start to finish, which is why I strongly recommend cooking up the squash one night in advance. You'll shave a lot of prep time off the main event, while also greatly diminishing the number of dirty dishes you'll need to reckon with later on. And besides, with a full belly and a half bottle of wine still to go, who wants to be distracted by house chores?
Also, remember to use more wine. Lots more wine. Bon Appetit calls for 1/3 of a cup (sissies!), The Bitten Word suggests doubling that (better!), and I'll go so far as to suggest tripling it. (See ya in the drunktank!) Not really... the alcohol burns off anyway, so all you're getting is the flavor benefit. But when you get right down to it, the white wine essence is one of the most critical components in risotto. Pouring with a light hand is like using five chocolate chips to make a whole batch of cookies. And what's the point of that?
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