Chicken & mushroom risotto
An Italian constitution; and a delicious one at that! Nothing beats a proper risotto. I love all kinds of risotto, but this one is by far my favorite. The key trick to making any risotto is keep it moving - stir it consistently and continuously. Stirring the risotto brings out the starch from the rice and gives you that gorgeously creamy texture. Buon appetito !
Ingredients
7 oz. Arborio Rice
2 oz. white wine
2 shallots (or 1/2 yellow onion) - finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk - finely chopped
32 oz. chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 button mushrooms - chopped
3 bella mushrooms - chopped
1 portobello mushroom - chopped
1 oz. dried / dehydrated mushrooms (oyster, chanterelle, porcini)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 chicken breasts - chopped into medium sized chunks
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour over some of the chicken stock, covering them in liquid, to re-hydrate them. Leave to re-hydrate for 30 mins.
In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock to a boil, then keep the stock pot on low heat to keep the stock hot.
In a frying pan, heat half (1 tablespoon) of the olive oil. Season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper. Fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and cooked through. Take off the heat, and set aside for late.
Heat a wide high-sided pot over medium heat. Add half butter (1 1/2 tablespoons) and remaining olive oil (1 tablespoon). When melted, add shallots and celery. Saute shallots and celery until soft and translucent. Add rice (do not wash the rice, make sure it is dry, risotto needs the starch to create the correct consistency). Stir continuously - do not let rice burn.
Cook the rice until you hear it crackling in the pan. Add white wine. Stir and cook until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the button, bella, portobello mushrooms and the fresh thyme. Add 1oz. of stock. Stirring continuously until liquid is absorbed, and then add another ounce of stock. Stirring continuously until liquid is absorbed, and then add another ounce of stock. Repeat this process until all stock is utilized and the cooking time should be approximately 20 minutes, making sure you stir continuously.
Add the cooked chicken and the re-hydrated mushrooms to the risotto (make sure to also add the remaining stock that was being used to re-hydrate the mushrooms). Continue to stir until liquid reduces.
Remove from the heat. Finally grate the fresh Parmesan cheese and add the remaining butter (1 1/2 tablespoons) into the risotto, stir to mix throughout. Cover the dish and leave for approximately 3 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.
Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, a glug of olive oil and even some sliced mushrooms.
Additional Tips :
- a
- b
- c
middleeastcoastchef