Serves 6 (you can halve the recipe for 2 or 3 people) This is a fabulous risotto . . . great for somebody who does not eat meat at Christmas. I sometimes make it in a large gratin dish, but you could also serve this in individual gratin dishes, straight to the table.

1-11/4 litres vegetable stock 25g butter Two tbsp olive oil One onion, chopped 400g risotto rice One glass (about 300ml) white wine 750g butternut squash (about one medium butternut squash) cut into 1cm cubes, all seeds and skin discarded . . .you will need to peel this with a knife Salt and pepper One-two tbsp chopped parsley 100g blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue or Stilton 50g walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted on a dry pan on the heat until golden Preheat the oven to 1800C, gas mark 4. In a saucepan, bring the stock to the boil. In another saucepan put the olive oil and the onion, cover with a lid, and cook on a low heat until the onion is soft, but not coloured.

Add the rice and stir over a medium heat for a minute. Add the glass of wine, and let it boil for a few minutes till the wine evaporates, then add the cubed butternut squash. Season with salt and pepper. Add the hot stock and bring the mixture up to the boil, then cover with a lid and put in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the risotto and the butternut squash is cooked, and the liquid has all been absorbed. (If you want to prepare this in advance, just cook up to this point, but take it out of the oven five minutes earlier, as the rice and butternut squash will go on cooking as it sits. Then heat up on the hob . . . you may need to stir in a little more liquid if it is too dry) Stir in the chopped parsley, and crumble over the blue cheese and the toasted walnuts to serve.