Butternut Squash and Duck Risotto

I love making risotto. I find the process meditative. You have to pay attention to the task at hand, and it takes a little time, but it's not difficult or complicated. Think: single-tasking. You'll be spending quality time with your stove top for about 45 minutes. And, of course, when you are done, you have a pot of comforting, creamy goodness!

Ingredients

• 32 ounce container butternut squash soup
• a sprig or two of fresh sage
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup aborio rice 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt 
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 confit duck legs

Garnish:

1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pickled cherries and cranberries
 Sage Leaves

Crispy duck skin

Directions

Pour soup into a pot along with 2 cups of water and sage and a little salt. Bring to a low boil, then, reduce the heat to low and keep hot.

Remove the skin and bones from the duck and set aside. (Save those bones for stock!) Shred the duck meat and place in a small saucepan. To crisp the skin, heat a small frying pan and toss in the duck skin, cooking till crispy. Place on paper towels and set aside. (Optional: once the duck skin has fried, it renders a couple of spoons of fat - you can toss some fresh sage leaves in the duck fat for a few seconds to crisp them up for an additional garnish) 

Finely dice the onions and garlic, setting the garlic aside for later. 

Put the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pan and heat over medium to medium-low heat.

Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sweat until soft and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Next, add 1/4 cup of the hot cooking liquid to soften the onions further. Let the cooking liquid completely evaporate.

When the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat up to medium-high and add the rice all at once. Stir to coat the rice in the hot oil. Stir continuously to make sure rice does not burn and toast for a few minutes until the perimeter of the grains are translucent.

Once toasted, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the wine. Stir the rice until the wine evaporates.

When the wine has evaporated, slowly add the hot liquid cup by cup, and stir, stir, stir. Adjust the heat so the liquid is always gently boiling. You don’t have to stir constantly, but do stir frequently.  Once the liquid has been absorbed, add the next cup and keep on stirring! :-)

At this point, put the duck meat on low heat just to heat it through. 

Continue to add liquid and cook the risotto until it is done to your liking. Some people like it al dente, some like a it a little softer. Taste frequently around the 15 minute mark so that you can adjust the texture to your liking.

Once the risotto has been cooked to your liking, stir in the olive oil and cheese. Cover and let rest for a couple of minutes.

Plate on warmed dishes and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and top with shredded duck. Garish with pickled cherries and crumbled crispy duck skin, and crispy sage leaves. Dig in and enjoy!!