Mark’s Chicken Risotto
Ingredients:
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 large onions
- 5 sticks of celery
- 2 chicken stock cubes or a quantity of chicken stock
- 6 black pepper corns
- 1 ½ cups of Italian arborio rice
- 6oz small peas (petit pois)
- 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- a glass of white Italian wine
- butter
- salt
- pepper
- a good pinch of ground saffron
Method:
Nearly fill a large pan (app 2 litres) with water, add one onion peeled ( chopped into four), 3 sticks of celery chopped into large pieces, the pepper corns and bring to the boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for app 15/20 mins or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken and when cool chop into small pieces, add the stock cubes to the cooking liquid.
Have either your stock or the water you have just cooked the chicken in simmering. In a large lidded pan, melt app 2 tablespoons of butter, add the other onion chopped finely, the rest of the celery chopped finely and after a couple of minutes add the rice, stirring constantly. Add the wine and let it evaporate off, add the juice of one lemon, turn the heat to a medium setting and one ladle-full at a time add the stock. Do not let it get to wet or to dry, keep stirring as you add the stock. After the first ladle-full add the saffron. After app 5 mins add the chicken, peas, salt and pepper to taste.
Continue adding stock until either it is all gone or the rice is just about cooked this should take about 15/20 mins. The aim is to have a slightly wet consistency. Stir in the juice of the remaining lemon, a knob of butter and the parsley, turn off the heat, cover with the lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese as an option.