Only the knife knows what happens in the heart of a pumpkin. This sentence from the writer Simone Schwarz-Bart it is perfect to understand how mysterious and fascinating this vegetable is. The ideal season to taste it is undoubtedly theautunno, so why not combine it with an excellent first course based on game? An ideal dish to combine different seasons is the risotto with pumpkin, pistachio and thighs of quail.
Contrary to other birds, the quail it can be eaten fresh without undergoing the aging or marinating processes that are commonly required for other types of game. The secret of the meat of quail it is in fact in its extreme softness and in the elevated digestibility, in addition to having an excellent protein content and very little cholesterol.
Besides being one particularly healthy meat and tasty, it is a food that can be eaten in all its parts. The tender flesh, the skin that keeps the pulp soft and the eggs, are all elements that can be tasted and cooked in the way we prefer.
Thanks to his versatility, lends itself to different recipes. Eggs can be used both hard-boiled and become the protagonists of salads or as the main ingredient of omelettes. There meat instead, it can be cooked on the grill or as braised.
The main thing to know is that extremely delicate meat must be treated properly both when cleaning and when cooking. There game it has a delicate flavor and a soft texture that leads skilled chefs to experiment with new and sometimes risky recipes and dishes that can only amaze diners.
Before cooking it, the fundamental thing to know is that the quail must be taken out of the fridge a few minutes before processing it, to bring it to room temperature and wipe off the excess with a paper towel.
One of the ways to cook quail is to make it with risotto with pumpkin and pistachio.
The vegetable together with the game meat is the absolute protagonist of the dish. Before working it, let's see the main features.
The first quality of pumpkin is to have few calories because it contains only 26 per 100 grams, the food is ideal for those who follow a strict diet.
This vegetable is in fact also recommended to diabetics because it is made up of 90% water.
Plus the pumpkin has several nutritional properties, let's see which ones.
Among the different nutrients there are lots of vitamins, from A to B to C. In particular, it possesses a great deal betacarotene, a very powerful antioxidant, limiting the formation of free radicals and also helping to prevent cancer.
Pumpkin also has benefits on mood, it also helps to get rid of anxiety and stress. This is because it contains magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant that brings immediate psycho-physical benefits. It also contains tryptophan, substance that helps in the production of serotonin, useful against insomnia and depression. Pumpkin is especially recommended for people who suffer from sleep disorders or hormonal imbalances.
In addition to the pumpkin, the dish is characterized by an ingredient used mainly for desserts and little in the kitchen pistachio. Like any food, it has characteristics and benefits, let's see what they are.
The first positive aspect is that they manage to lower bad cholesterol thanks to the content of phytosterols, and of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. With the decrease in the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, we have less likely to get disease cardiovascular and therefore higher life expectancy.
The heart is among the most important organs, so a little help to make it work properly can also come from pistachios. Thanks to the presence of gamma-tocopherol a kind of vitamin E, has a slight vasodilating action, therefore it protects the walls of the capillaries and also has aaction antithrombotic.
Protecting us from disease with prevention is essential, and pistachios can help us if consumed daily. The high content of antioxidants, protect cells from free radicals that cause oxidative damage at the basis of cancer formation.
To keep our sight intact and not have any drops, pistachios are a cure-all. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that protect the eyes and prevent the onset of vision problems, improving eye health.
Pistachios are rich in vitamin B6 or pyridoxine which is essential for some functions of the nervous system. This vitamin is essential for the synthesis of some neurotransmitters and is essential for synthesizing myelin, a structure that protects the nervous system and allows communication between neurons.
After the summer and the tan, the skin needs special care and pistachios with vitamin E are a powerful antioxidant that protects the epidermis from damage from UV radiation, thus counteracting aging.
Once all the properties of the ingredients have been described, we just have to find out the quantities and the procedure to make a first course for a true gourmet.
Ingredients
400 g Carnaroli rice
half quail
100 gr. pumpkin
extra virgin olive oil
half onion
vegetable broth
rosemary to taste
sage to taste
wild pepper from Madagascar
Method
The quick and easy recipe is made in just 20 minutes and with little effort. The first thing you need to do is put the pumpkin in the oven and cook it 180 degree, in this way it will lose the water inside and you will be able to obtain a good and dense pulp.
In a padella put a fry the onion finely chopped with extra virgin olive oil. Once withered, put a to toast the rice e blend with the brothor that you have prepared previously. If you do not want to prepare it at home or you have little time, you can also use the ready nut and put it to dissolve in water.
Take a saucepan and put a heat the oil with the rosemary to flavor it, finally add one clove of garlic. Once the bottom is prepared put the quail, brown it on all sides and then blend it White wine. Continue cooking by adding pepper and salt to your liking.
Once the quail is almost cooked, transfer it to the rice pan together with pumpkin pulp peeled.
When the rice is cooked and the broth dry, stir in parmesan and extra virgin olive oil.
Serve garnished with the chopped pistachios, which will not only make the dish beautiful to look at, with the green contrasting with the orange of the pumpkin, but will give the first that crunchiness that gives an edge to every dish.