Chicken Mushroom Risotto
Chicken Mushroom Risotto
As Melbourne’s weather begins to cool, my meals naturally shift towards
something warmer and more comforting. For me, risotto is the ultimate
comfort food — it nourishes both your body and your soul. I was frothing
over this dish! Mmmm… I just knew it was going to be soooo good. The
level of umami from the mushrooms, truffle oil, Parmesan and MSG —
chef’s kiss.
Servings: 2–3
Ingredients
Optional Substitutions
Instructions
- Prepare the stock – Add the water and stock cubes to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and keep warm.
- Sauté the vegetables – In a large frying pan over medium heat, add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic until soft.
- Toast the rice – Add the rice to the frying pan, adding extra oil if required. Toast for a couple of minutes, ensuring the grains are coated in oil and beginning to become translucent.
- Add the stock – Add the thyme and warm stock, one ladle at a time. Stir slowly, allowing the stock to be almost fully absorbed before adding the next ladle.
- Add the chicken – Continue until one ladle of stock remains, then add the final ladle of stock along with the chicken. Season with a sprinkle of MSG for some extra umami.
- Finish the risotto – When the rice is al dente and the chicken is cooked through, remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan and cream and/or butter.
- Serve – Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil, extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper.
Recipe Notes
- Cooking the chicken separately: Some people prefer to cook the chicken at the beginning, set it aside, and add it back at the end.
- Oven-baked option: If you can’t be bothered spending time stirring the risotto, it can also be baked. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Follow steps 1–3, then transfer to an ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish. Add the thyme, stock, chicken and MSG. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly with double foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and follow step 6.
- Freeze your Parmesan: I store Parmesan in the freezer to keep it fresh for months. Apologies to the Italians if this is blasphemous.
- Make arancini: Leftover risotto can be shaped into balls, filled with cheese, coated in flour, dipped in egg wash and covered in breadcrumbs before being fried to create delicious arancini balls.
- Basic risotto ratio: Allow approximately ½ cup of rice per person and 3–4 cups of stock for every 1 cup of rice.
- For 2 serves: Use 1 cup rice with 3–4 cups stock (approximately 750 mL–1 litre).
- For 4 serves: Use 2 cups rice with 6–8 cups stock (approximately 1.5–2 litres).
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