Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Oyster Mushrooms

For the pumpkin bowls:

• 4 Small pumpkins/squashes*
• 2 Tbsp Garlic-infused olive oil

For the crispy mushrooms:

• 300g Oyster mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp Garlic-infused olive oil 

For the risotto:

• ½ Jar Bay’s Kitchen Concentrated Chicken Stock
• 300g Risotto rice
• 250g Tinned pumpkin puree*
• 2 Leeks, green tops only, finely sliced
• 2 Spring onions, green tops only, finely sliced
• 1 Glass dry white wine
• 50g Unsalted butter
• 50g Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp Garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 Heaped Tbsp miso paste
• 15g Fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
• Juice of ½ a lemon

1. Heat the oven to 220C, 200C fan.
2. Give the pumpkins a good wash before carefully chopping the top off of each, in order to create a lid. Use a spoon to hollow the pumpkins out, removing most of the flesh and seeds (you could save this for another meal).
3. Sit a pumpkin on a piece of foil. Drizzle with garlic oil and sprinkle with salt. Rest the top back on the pumpkin and close up the foil around it to create a little parcel. Repeat with the rest of the pumpkins. Place the parcels on a large baking tray and cook for 30 minutes in the oven. After 30 minutes, open up the foil parcels and carefully lift the lids off of each pumpkin, resting them alongside each ‘bowl’. Place the tray back in the oven and roast the pumpkins for a further 10 minutes, so that they get some colour. Once soft, but still holding shape, remove from the oven. Place the lids back on each and wrap up the foil parcels back up to keep the pumpkins warm while you cook the risotto and mushrooms. 
4. Reduce the oven to 200C, 180C fan. Put the mushrooms onto a baking tray, drizzle with garlic oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread them out into a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
5. Meanwhile, cook the risotto. Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a large saucepan and add Bay’s Kitchen Concentrated Chicken Stock. Whisk to combine and turn the heat down to a simmer. 
6. Heat the garlic-infused oil and half of the butter in a large, shallow saucepan. Add the leek and spring onion tops and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. 
7. Tip the rice into the pan, stirring to make sure that it’s well coated. After a minute or so it will start to crackle and look translucent at the edges – at this point add in the wine and keep stirring until the alcohol has been evaporated and the liquid absorbed.
8. Add the miso paste and cook for a minute, then add in the pumpkin puree, stirring so that it starts to caramelise on the bottom of the pan – the aim is to cook out some of the liquid and add even more layers of umami flavour. 
9. Start adding the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Wait for most of it to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful – it should take around 20 mins for all of the stock to be added. Taste to see if the rice is tender, but still has some bite.
10. Stir through the remaining butter, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and most of the oregano. Put a lid on the pan and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Stir once more then divide the risotto between the pumpkin bowls. Top with a handful of crispy mushrooms, the remaining oregano and a grind of black pepper.