HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Shrimp and Butternut Squash Risotto

Chef Adrian Solorzano of DK Restaurants takes you step-by-step on making shrimp and butternut squash risotto, the perfect autumn comfort food.

It’s officially fall!

And in Hawaiʻi, that means the seasonal ingredients of butternut squash and kabocha, a Japanese variety of winter squash.

Chef Adrian Solorzano of DK Restaurants shows us how to make the popular shrimp and butternut squash risotto, available on DK Restaurants’ online ordering platform. (Click on the Sansei & DK Steakhouse Menu tab at the top. DK Restaurant and Sansei Waikīkī are now operating out of Vino Italian Tapas and Wine Bar.) You can also use kabocha instead of butternut squash.

This recipe has a lot of steps, and Solorzano walks you through every one. (The video is about 16 minutes, but you’ll learn a lot. Trust us!)

It’s a shareable dish, great for small family get-togethers during the holidays—or just you, a couch and an evening of Netflix. We don’t judge.

(To see more videos, follow us on Instagram @hawaiimagazine.)

Shrimp and Butternut Squash Risotto

Dish Overview:

• ​5 cups butternut squash risotto
• 2 cups roasted Hāmākua mushrooms
• 2 cups roasted butternut squash
• 2 cups blistered grape tomatoes
• 10 pieces of shrimp
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup micro red leaf sorrel (for garnish)

Directions: Place 1 cup of butternut squash risotto on center of plate. Then place ¼ cup of roasted Hāmākua mushrooms, 5 pieces of shrimp, ¼ cup of blistered grape tomatoes spread out over risotto. Then sprinkle shaved Parmesan cheese and garnish with micro red leaf sorrel.

For Butternut Squash Risotto:

• 2 T. garlic, minced
• 2 T. shallots, minced
• ¼ cup white onion, small diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups butternut squash purée (see recipe below)
• ½ cup butter
• 1 T. salt and pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions: Heat up medium size sauté pan on medium heat. Melt ¼ cup of butter and sweat garlic, shallots and onions. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture is translucent, add rice and toast until you smell a nutty aroma. Deglaze with white wine and reduce and stir with a rubber spatula. (When stirring, be sure to pass spatula through bottom of pan to make sure the rice does not stick.) When wine is reduced and the rice looks oily, add chicken or vegetable stock in 4-ounce increments until rice has absorbed stock and doubled in size. Then add butternut squash purée. Now add remaining ¼ cup of butter, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste.

For the Roasted Butternut Squash:

Cut butternut squash in half length wise. Deseed and toss in oil. Then place on sheet pan cut side down and roast for 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. If it’s not fork-tender after 20 minutes, keep in oven until it’s fork-tender. Check on it every five minutes. Take out of oven and let the squash sit for five minutes to cool off. When squash is cool enough to hold in hand, peel off skin and purée in a blender with 1 cup vegetable broth until smooth.

For the Roasted Hāmākua Mushrooms:

• 2 cups Hāmākua mushrooms
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions: Slice mushrooms length wise. Then cut into quarters. Toss mushrooms, oil and salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Roast in a preheated 350-degree oven for seven minutes.

For the Roasted Butternut Squash:

Cut butternut squash in half length wise. Deseed and toss in oil. Then place on sheet pan cut side down and roast for 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. If it’s not fork-tender after 20 minutes, keep in oven until it’s fork-tender. Check on it every five minutes. Take out of oven and let the squash sit for five minutes to cool off. When squash is cool enough to hold in hand, peel off skin and purée in a blender with 1 cup vegetable broth until smooth.

For the Roasted Hāmākua Mushrooms:

• 2 cups Hāmākua mushrooms
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions: Slice mushrooms length wise. Then cut into quarters. Toss mushrooms, oil and salt and pepper in medium bowl. Roast in preheated  350* Fahrenheit oven for 7 minutes.

For the Blistered Grape Tomatoes:

• 1 pint red grape tomatoes
• 2 T. olive oil

Directions: Slice tomatoes in half and toss with oil. Preheat the oven’s broiler on high. Place tomatoes cut side down on a sheet pan and broil in oven until skin blisters up. It should take no more than four minutes.

For the Sautéed Shrimp:

• 1 pound jumbo shrimp
• 2 T. cooking oil
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 T. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions: Peel and devein shrimp. Cut into ½-inch pieces. Then Heat up oil in sauté pan to a medium high heat. When oil is hot, season shrimp and add to pan. Cook the shrimp evenly on both sides. Shrimp should start turning into a red-pinkish color immediately. When you start to see some browning after maybe four minutes, deglaze with white wine and add butter.