Butternut squash and barley risotto with chorizo

Serves 4-6 You will need:

• 1 small butternut squash (about 425g when prepared), peeled, deseeded and chopped into 1cm-2cm cubes • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 200g chorizo, cut into ½cm slices

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 300g pearl barley

• 1L chicken stock

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C, 425°F, Gas 7. Toss the butternut squash cubes in the extra-virgin olive oil, then put them on a baking tray and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are tender.

2 Put the chorizo slices in a dry saucepan on a low heat, and cook them really slowly until the fat renders out — if the pan is too hot, the chorizo will brown before the fat has rendered.

3 Transfer the chorizo slices to a plate, leaving all the oil behind, then add the finely chopped onion to the saucepan and season it with some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the saucepan and cook gently, still on a low heat, for 6-8 minutes, until the onion has softened.

4 Now return the chorizo slices to the saucepan, add the pearl barley, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the pearl barley in all the delicious oils.

5 Add the chicken stock to the saucepan, and bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over a low heat, stirring regularly, for 30 minutes, or until the pearl barley is just tender. At this point, the stock should all have been absorbed by the barley. Add another drizzle of stock if the risotto is looking dry in any way.

6 Add the roasted butternut squash cubes and the chopped fresh rosemary, and heat through. Season the risotto to taste with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve.