Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

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Soft and creamy chicken and mushroom risotto is a classic Italian favourite. Full of flavour, I believe It’s one of those staple recipes that every family needs to know. Risotto is an essential winter comfort that I can’t go without.

Risotto would have to be one of my favourite Italian dishes along with chicken cacciatore, pastina and spaghetti and meatballs. It’s a simple pleasure, indulging in a cosy bowl of creamy risotto. Sprinkled with parsley, drizzled with olive oil and topped with a generous helping of parmesan.

There are many different methods of making risotto and many claim that making the perfect risotto is an art. I know it can be off-putting to cook a dish if it just seems too hard.

Having grown up easting risotto all my life, I can tell you that It’s not an art form nor is it rocket science to master the perfect risotto you just need the right guidance and the right technique. Making risotto is easy!

Chicken and mushroom risotto

Risotto is a comforting one pot wonder which originated in Northern Italy. In a nutshell, risotto is a rice based dish cooked in broth until it is tender and creamy.

The base of any good risotto consists of butter, onion, garlic, white wine and parmesan cheese.

Once you learn how to master the basics of a good risotto the possibilities are endless. That is yet another thing I love about risotto! It’s so adaptable to whatever vegetables and or meat you have on hand.

It is easy and achievable to make restaurant quality risotto at home if you use the right process and techniques. However, the most important thing to perfecting risotto is to cook with love. This will show in your finished product.

Tips to making the perfect risotto

The secret to making creamy risotto is to cook it slowly, stir it often and add as much liquid as the rice requires. Here are a few extra tips to making the perfect risotto:

• First things first, you need to have the right pan. For making the perfect risotto I recommend a good quality skillet and the one I use is the Le Crueset signature cast iron skillet. This is a kitchen essential that is going to last a lifetime and if you don’t already have one It’s going to be a great investment. A skillet is perfect because of the heavy base but also because there is enough room for the risotto to be cooked evenly.

• Just like most Italian dishes the first step is to saute onion and garlic in some olive oil or butter and risotto is no different. Once the onion starts to soften you will add the rice. Toasting the rice in the pan will release the wonderful nutty flavours so you want to ensure every grain of rice is well coated.

• I have tried so many different risotto recipes over the years and now I believe I have mastered my own. I am always looking for ways to up the flavours and I find that cooking the mushrooms and the chicken separately and then adding them to the risotto at the end has given me the best results. Im still using the same pan so It’s not creating any extra work. The end result is well worth the 2 extra steps.

• Finishing off your risotto is also just as important as starting it right. A knob of butter, a generous shaving of parmesan and some parsley will take the risotto to another level of comfort.

• Although you may just want to grab that spoon and dig in, patience is a virtue my friend. Letting the risotto sit for 5 minutes before serving will make it taste even better. I need to take my own advise as many times I have greedily dug in burning my tongue as I just could not wait another moment!

Which rice is best for risotto

In Italy there are many different rice varieties used for risotto. One of the most common varieties that is widely available would be Aborio rice. It’s a short grain rice with a high starch content which is going to give you silky, creamy rice.

What ingredients you will need

• Pine nuts (This adds a lovely contrast to the softness of risotto)
• Mushrooms; To keep this recipe simple I have used button mushrooms but feel free to experiment with a mixture of different mushrooms. Both fresh and dried varieties work well.
• Garlic
• Parsley (to add freshness)
• Olive oil
• Chicken; I use thighs because they are so tender and juicy. I find when using breast it tends to dry out a lot quicker.
• Fresh Thyme; the perfect match for chicken and mushrooms
• Chicken stock: Using a good quality chicken stock makes the world of difference. I use Massel as it has no added MSG and It’s also Gluten-free.
• Onion
• Celery
• Aborio rice
• White wine (Whatever you have in the cupboard at home is fine. Make sue you pour yourself a glass too 🙂 )
• Butter
• parmesan

How to cook risotto

In a large skillet or heavy based pot on low heat add the pine nuts and toast until they start to turn golden. Set aside

In the same pan add the sliced mushrooms together with 1 garlic clove and the parsley. Dry fry the mushrooms on low-medium heat. Once the mushrooms are cooked (approx 5 minutes) season to perfection. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove on medium-high heat. Add a good splash of olive oil and add the chicken, 1 clove of garlic, thyme and season well. Cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil until needed.

Place the stock in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.

For the risotto return the skillet to the stove on medium heat and add half the butter. Sauté the onion, celery and 1 clove of garlic until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add rice and stir, ensuring every grain is well coated. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Once the wine has completely evaporated turn the heat down to low.

Add 1 ladle of stock at a time and stir through the risotto. Make sure the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue this process until the rice is cooked but still has a bit of a bite to it. This will take approximately 30 minutes. Test the risotto for seasoning.

Add the pine nuts, mushrooms, chicken with their juices, remaining butter and parmesan. Gently stir through until combined. Leave to rest for 5 minutes then ladle into bowls with some finely chopped parsley and a generous grating of parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

handy tools to make the job easier

Microplane Home Series course grater sponsored

Le Creuset signature cast iron skillet 20cm sponsored

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Print Recipe

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

Creamy, soft and comforting this delicious chicken and mushroom risotto recipe is a must have for every family.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken, classic italian, Mushroom, Risotto

Servings: 6

Author: Marie Muccio

Ingredients

• 50 g pine nuts
• 500 g button mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves crushed
• small bunch flat leaf parsley finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 800g chicken thigh fillets cut into 1cm pieces
• 4 springs fresh thyme
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 40 g butter
• 1 onion diced
• 1 celery stick finely sliced
• 2 cups aborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• ½ cup parmesan plus extra to serve

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet or heavy based pot on low heat. Add the pine nuts and toast until they start to turn golden. Set aside
• Add the sliced mushrooms to the same pan together with 1 garlic clove and the parsley. Dry fry the mushrooms until cooked, approx 5 minutes. Season to perfection. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 
• Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add a good splash of olive oil and add the chicken, 1 clove of garlic and thyme. Season well.

  Cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and cover with foil until needed. 
• Place the stock in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. 
• For the risotto, return the skillet to the stove on medium heat and add half the butter. Sauté the onion, celery and 1 clove of garlic until the vegetables begin to soften. 
• Add rice and stir, ensuring every grain is well coated. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Once the wine has completely evaporated turn the heat down to low. Add 1 ladle of stock at a time and stir through the risotto. make sure the stock has been absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue this process until the rice is cooked but still has a bit of a bite to it. This will take approximately 30 minutes.
• Add the pine nuts, mushrooms, chicken with their juices, remaining butter and parmesan. Gently stir through until combined. Test for seasoning. Leave to rest for 5 minutes then ladle into bowls with some finely chopped parsley and a generous grating of parmesan cheese. 

Notes

Have you made this recipe? Don’t forget to tag me in your post @mrsfoodiemumma and use the use the hashtag #mrsfoodiemumma 

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