Zurich winter risotto with Brussels sprouts and caramelised pumpkin seeds

I love risotto! It’s my comfort, my love and everything about it makes me happy.

I blogged about risotto in 2020 just after the US presidential election — and it’s been one of my most popular blogs to date! — but a classic always needs a revamp, and I can’t even express my excitement in receiving this updated risotto from Sabrina from Switzerland.

Sabrina works in logistics for an airline, and her biggest passion is travelling, which is probably why she joined postcrossing. She’s travelled far more than I have, having been all over Asia, her favourite place being Singapore (My favourite move is Crazy Rich Asians, and I’d love to go to Singapore too!).

But what I found so interesting about this winter risotto recipe is that she sent me the original in German and then translated it into English. Seeing how the two languages differ in ingredient names, Brussels sprouts being bio-rosenkohl or pumpkin sees being kurbiskerne, made it so much fun to make. “Can you pass me the kurbiskerne?” I asked my son.

So, I usually take a picture of the recipe I made, but unfortunately my son got into the risotto pot and started scooping out the comforting grains — and to be honest it wasn’t a very pretty picture!

To my surprise, he loved the the introduction of gorgonzola cheese to the final stage. I’ve never used gorgonzola in a risotto recipe, but we both enjoyed the added tangy blue change to the already nutty traditional parmesan.

Risotto is something I always turn to when I’m stressed, standing in front of a pot stirring it the same direction for 20 minutes has always calmed me down. And during these crazy days of Covid-19, I can’t think of a better recipe to share with someone. I hope you enjoy it as much as I (and my son!) loved making and eating it.

Swiss winter risotto

Ingredients

30g butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Teaspoon of thyme

Grated lemon peel

300g risotto rice

500g brussels sprouts, cut into quarters and cooked in salted water until they turn bright green

175 ml white wine

900 ml Vegetable stock (I use chicken, but this measurement isn’t exact, I keep ladling chicken stock until the rice can’t absorb anymore)

40g parmesan, freshly grated

60g gorgonzola, crumbled

Salt, pepper and caramelised pumpkin seeds

Method

Mix the butter and oil in a dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and lemon peel and let it soften for a couple of minutes. Next add the risotto rice, stirring until the rice is coated in the oil, next add the white wine. Let the rice absorb the white wine before adding the stock. When the risotto reaches the desired constancy, stir in the quartered brussels sprouts, gorgonzola and parmesan cheese. Serve with a sprinkling of caramelised pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!