Enjoy a savory recipe now – and delectable dishes at Chefs for Jimmy

“If you have been blessed with good things in life, you are bound to return them to those in need,” explains Chef Marcel Ouimet, head chef at Chez Josef in Agawam, MA where Chefs for Jimmy’s 25^th Anniversary Red Carpet Celebration to benefit the Jimmy Fund will be hosted on January 23, 2015.

Each year, over a thousand people gather at this spectacular event to enjoy delicious local dishes created by some of Western Massachusetts’ best restaurants and catering companies. Thirty eateries participate in what has been voted as the “Best Charity Event” by The Valley Advocate’s “Best of Reader’s Poll.” The food runs the gamut of cultures and ethnicities, toggles between sweet and savory, and satisfies any palate.

Courtesy of Chef Marcel Ouimet, please enjoy a sneak peek at a simple, elegant, and savory roasted butternut risotto recipe that you might find at Chefs for Jimmy’s 25^th Anniversary Red Carpet Celebration.

Recipe: Roasted Butternut Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of butternut squash
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 6 to 8 strips of lean bacon
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 tbsp fresh minced garlic
• ¾ stick of low-salt butter or margarine
• 1 ½ cups of Arborio rice
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ½ tsp turmeric or saffron threads
• ¾ cup of freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese
• ¼ cup of maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and dice into 3/4” cubes. Toss the squash with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Spread the squash out on a baking pan and roast for 20 minutes or until tender. During the last 5 minutes of roasting, add the maple syrup to the squash. Crisp the bacon (you can do this in the oven).

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer. While that is simmering, in a dutch oven or think bottomed stock pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains.

Combine the turmeric (or saffron threads) with the wine. Add this mixture to the pot with the rice. Then add ¾ cup of the hot chicken stock. Turn the heat to low/medium. When the rice has nearly absorbed all the chicken stock, add another ¾ cup chicken stock. When the rice has absorbed the chicken stock again, add another ¾ cup.

Continue in this fashion until all the chicken stock has been used. Add the heavy cream, butternut squash, bacon, and parmesan (or Romano) cheese and stir. Cook for 5-6 minutes to incorporate all of the ingredients.

Bon appetite!

Are you attending this year’s Chefs for Jimmy event? We want to know! Leave a comment and let us know which restaurant or catering company’s food you are looking forward to trying. Interested in attending, buy your ticket before they are gone!