Pumpkin Risotto With Duck Confit

Cindy Wolf is the latest Saturday Early Show's Chef on a Shoestring.

Wolf and her husband own two of Baltimore's finest restaurants, Petit Louis and Charleston. Both restaurants reflect Wolf's interpretation of modern French food mixed with some Southern influences. The married couple opened a small wine store this year that earned the title of "Best New Wine Shop" from "Food & Wine" magazine. And also this year, Petit Louis Bistro was selected as "Best Neighborly Restaurant" by Baltimore Magazine.

As our Chef on a Shoestring, Wolf's challenge is to create a three-course meal for four for under $30.

She came up with the following menu:

Recipes:

Butternut Squash & White Bean Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients :
1 cup butternut squash, outer "shell" removed, deseeded, and diced small
1 cup spanish onion, peeled and diced large
1/2 cup white (cannellini) beans, rinsed well and soaked in water overnight
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
4 oz. butter
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. mild curry powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until golden brown

Method:

1. Melt butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat.
   
2. Increase to high heat and add onions.
   
3. Stir onions frequently over high heat until they soften and caramelize. (About 15 minutes)
   
4. Add squash and cook 10 minutes more until squash just starts to brown, stirring frequently.
   
5. Drain beans and add to pot along with chicken stock and all seasonings. (Stock should cover beans by one inch. Add additional stock if needed.)
   
6. Bring stock to a boil and then reduce heat to medium, simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (or until beans are soft) stirring frequently.
   
7. When beans have softened, remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly.
   
8. Blend soup in blender until smooth. Add additional seasoning if needed. Add optional cream while blending to enhance soup consistency.
   
9. Pour soup into four shallow soup plates and garnish with pine nuts.

Pumpkin Risotto
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 small pumpkin (approximately 2 pounds)
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup spanish onion, chopped finely
3 cups chicken stock
4 oz. butter
1/2 cup andouille sausage, diced small
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the Pumpkin:

1. Wash pumpkin and cut in half. Remove and save seeds.
   
2. Place pumpkin halves, cut side down on a cookie sheet. Cover bottom of cookie sheet with 1/4 inch of water.
   
3. Roast pumpkin in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until just soft.
   
4. Cool pumpkin, remove outer shell, and chop pumpkin meat into small dice.

For the Risotto:

1. Pour chicken stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and keep stock at a simmer while preparing risotto.
   
2. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add sausage and sauté an additional 5 minutes.
   
3. Add rice to sauté pan and sauté for two minutes, stirring often, until rice becomes a little translucent.
   
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly ladle chicken stock into sauté pan 1/2 cup at a time. Stir while ladling so that rice absorbs all stock.
   
5. Cook rice over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 25 minutes. The finished risotto should be creamy but not soupy. If risotto requires more liquid during cooking, hot water can be added.
   
6. Season risotto with salt and pepper.

To Finish and Serve:

1. Toast pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.
   
2. Sauté the pumpkin in 1 tablespoon of butter with cinnamon until warm, about 2 minutes.
   
3. Gently fold pumpkin into risotto.
   
4. Serve equal portions on four plates.
   
5. Garnish with Duck Confit (optional, see recipe below) and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Duck Confit
Serves 4

This very traditional duck preparation from southwestern France is simple but requires several days of marinating. The resulting confit is intensely flavored and serves as a rich accent to rice or bean dishes.

You should be able to get the duck fat from your butcher.

Ingredients:
2 duck legs
6 cups duck fat
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Method:

1. Rub duck legs with salt, pepper, and thyme.
   
2. Refrigerate for 24 hours in a covered plastic-lined pan or dish.
   
3. Heat duck fat over medium-low heat until just liquefied. Pour duck fat into a heavy casserole dish and immerse duck legs in fat.
   
4. Place casserole dish in a 200 degree oven and cook for 2 hours.
   
5. Cool dish and refrigerate for 24 hours.
   
6. Pull duck legs out of fat and remove meat from bones.
   
7. Gently warm confit in sauté pan and add to risotto just prior to serving.

Apple Fritters
Serves 4

Ingredients:
approx. 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
pinch of salt
about 2/3 cup Thomas Hardy Beer (or other strong English ale)
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon Gosling's Rum (or other black rum) *optional*
2 egg whites
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
4 cups vegetable oil
powdered sugar

Method:

1. Mix salt, flour and melted butter in a bowl with a whisk.
   
2. Mix in beer, water, and rum.
   
3. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into batter.
   
4. Fold diced apples into the batter.
   
5. Heat vegetable oil in deep fryer or large saucepot over medium-high heat. Be careful of spattering and do not allow oil to smoke.
   
6. Spoon batter by the tablespoon into hot oil and fry until golden brown.
   
7. Remove fritters from oil and drain on paper towels.
   
8. Dust fritters in powdered sugar.
   Serve warm with vanilla ice cream in shallow dishes if you like.