Butternut Squash Risotto

I made this for family Thanksgiving in '05. It takes a lot of work and time, and it's also not cheap to make. Don't make this unless you know you're cooking for foodies. When your cousin looks up at you like "why couldn't you just bring mashed potatoes?" you'll wish you had. However, this is a fantastic dish and has been a true hit with people who aren't my cousin.

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced thin
• 1 1/4 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (but why stop there?)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 450.

Halve squash lengthwise and discard seeds. Peel one half and cut into 1/4 inch cubes. Put remaining half, cut side down, in an oiled shallow baking pan with diced squash & season with salt & pepper. Bake squash in the middle of the oven, stirring diced squash occasionally, until tender and browned lightly; 15-20 minutes.

Holding halved squash in a kitchen towel (here comes the pain-in-the-ass part...), scoop out flesh & chop coarse.

In a saucepan, bring both broth and water to a simmer & keep at a bare simmer.

In another saucepan, cook onion, garlic and ginger in butter over moderately low heat, stirring until softened.

Stir in rice & cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add wine, and cook, stirring until absorbed.

Stir in 1/4 cup broth and cook, stirring constantly, and keeping at a simmer throughout, until absorbed. Continue simmering & adding broth, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until about half of the broth has been added.

Stir in diced and chopped squash and continue simmering & adding broth until rice is tender and creamy looking, but still al dente, about 18 minutes. Stir in chives and salt & pepper to taste.

Garnish with chopped fresh chives and shaved parmesano-reggiano cheese. A drizzle of truffle oil and a bit of proscuitto is never a bad thing, either.