Kitchen Basics: Risotto

Risotto seems to be one of the most feared kitchen basics. It involves a lot of stirring, a careful eye on liquid absorption, and around six cups of chicken broth. Although a rice dish with a few embellishments seems like it should be simple, I’ve heard a number of risotto-related horror stories with frightening endings such as:

“…and after all of the broth was absorbed, the rice was still raw!”
“…but then I stirred the rice to find the bottom was COMPLETELY BURNED.”
“…by the time I was done, I had finished the rest of the bottle of wine and just fell asleep.” 

(That last one is a lie, but still, a possible mistake while making this dish.)

I consulted a number of different sites and a few of my cookbooks to put together what would be my first attempt at the dish this afternoon. The result was a Risotto with Thyme Chicken and Mushrooms. You can embellish risotto with just about anything, use vegetable broth for a vegan or vegetarian option, or even sweeten it for dessert. Here’s the recipe.

Risotto with Thyme Chicken and Mushrooms for Two
-6 cups chicken broth (homemade or low sodium pre-made)
-1 medium chicken breast
-1 tbs. olive oil
-1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
-2 portobello mushroom caps (the ideal is porcini mushrooms, but I couldn’t track any down today and didn’t want to hike into Manhattan)
-The leaves of 4 fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 tsp.) 
-1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
-3 tbs. unsalted butter
-1 1/2 cups Aborio rice
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 

1) Mushrooms: To avoid having to multi-task while stirring rice later, I recommend preparing the mushrooms before beginning the risotto. Chop the mushrooms into almost bite-sized pieces (they will shrink when cooked). Heat a saucepan over medium heat and then add the 1 tbs. olive oil. Once heated, add mushrooms and stir often. After a minute, add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until mushrooms are slightly browned. Place in a bowl, cover, and set aside. 

2) Chicken: Salt and pepper chicken breast on both sides. In a small pan over medium heat, melt 1 tbs. butter. Once melted, add 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, stir, and let simmer with the butter for about 30 seconds. Add chicken breast and cook over medium-low heat, about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. When done, cut into pieces about the size of the mushrooms. 

3) In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and then reduce heat to low, keeping it at a gentle simmer. This is to ensure the broth is close to the temperature of the rice as you add it later. 

4) While the broth is heating, melt 2 tbs. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add shallot, stirring often until translucent. Increase heat and cook shallot until slightly browned, but not burned. 

5) Add rice and continuously stir until it becomes almost opaque, taking care not to brown or burn it, about 4 minutes. 

6) Add 1/3 cup of the white wine and stir until absorbed completely by the rice. Then, add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and stir often until absorbed. Continue to add chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments, waiting until it is completely absorbed before adding the next batch and stirring often. Try the rice occasionally and once it reaches a tender, but slightly firm texture in the center, it’s ready (this will take around 20 minutes of so). It will have an overall creamy consistency. 

7) Add the last bit of wine, lemon zest, thyme and stir, cooking for another minute or two until the wine is absorbed. 

8 ) Lower the heat and add the cheese, stirring until fully incorporated. Add the mushroom (reserving a few pieces for plating) and chicken and stir until warmed. 

9) Finally, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve in bowls topped with an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese and remaining mushrooms.