Pumpkin, bacon and kransky sausages make this dish a real trail-pleaser.

Pumpkin risotto is one of my tramping favourites, but by adding some flavoursome Kransky sausages it lifts this dish to a new level.

Diced pumpkin pieces keep well and don’t weigh more than their equivalent in dried fruit. Adding bacon rounds out the full flavours of this risotto. If you want to change this to a vegetarian dish, then leave out the meat and add some sundried tomatoes and dried fruit.

Ingredients
Serves 4
2 cups diced pumpkin
¼ cup dried onions
1.5 cups Arborio rice
8 small Kransky sausages
4 slices streaky bacon, diced
2 sachets of vegetable stock
10ml cooking oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)

At home: Pack the diced bacon pieces and pumpkin cubes in separate plastic bags. Pack all the other ingredients and label. Carry the cooking oil separately.

In camp: Place the cooking oil in a pot or frying pan and gently cook the bacon. Add the rice and toast in the oil for a minute or two.

Then combine the pumpkin cubes, stock and dried onions to the rice mix, while slowly adding the warm water and stock mixture. Stir frequently and continue adding more water as the risotto cooks, which should take 15 to 20 minutes on low heat.

Season to taste and serve with a little parmesan cheese if desired.

– Paul Garland is the co-author of New Zealand Backcountry Cooking which is available at a special discount for Wildcard holders here.