Chicken & Mushroom Risotto

So the doctor said I shouldn't eat meat for a while, but I quickly figured out that low fat plus no meat equalled a shaky and ravenous Ferdzy, even when my stomach was actually quite full. Beans just don't cut it. Very lean chicken seems to be sitting well enough, so I guess there is going to be a lot of that around here for the next while. Fish, if I can get it, but even here on the lake it is amazingly hard to get.

This is probably on the edge of the amount of fat I should be eating, but if I was making this regularly I would have called for a tablespoon of oil where I am now calling for 2 teaspoons, so there's that.

4 to 6 servings
1 hour 30 minutes prep time

Prepare the Vegetables:

2 medium onions
2 large stalks of celery
OR 1 1/2 cups diced celeriac
1 large carrot
2 - 3 cloves of garlic
225 grams (1/2 pound) button mushrooms
OR mixed fresh mushrooms
4 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

 Peel and chop the onions. Wash, trim and chop the celery. Peel and dice the carrot. Peel and mince the garlic. Clean and quarter the mushrooms, or otherwise chop them to a size with the other vegetables.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet, and cook the onions, celery and carrots for about 10 minutes,  until softened, stirring frequently. Remove them to a dish to wait while other things are cooked.

Heat another 2 teaspoons of oil in the skillet, and cook the mushrooms until softened and slightly browned. Stir in the garlic, and cook for another minute or so, then remove them to another dish (seperate from the first set of vegetables).

Finish the Risotto:
2 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts (500 g, 1 lb)
OR 4-5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon rubbed savory
1/2 teaspoon rubbed oregano
4 to 6 cups chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While the vegetables are cooking, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat the last of the oil in the skillet, and add the chicken pieces to brown. When they are lightly browned all over (having been stirred) add the rice, and continue cooking and stirring until the rice is mostly translucent and slightly browned in spots. Mix in the herbs, and when they are well distributed stir in about 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Reduce the heat to medium-high. The stock should be absorbed almost immediately; stir in another 1/2 cup of stock. Let this cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken stock is mostly absorbed, then add more chicken stock.

Continue this process of adding stock, stirring, and cooking for the next half hour or so. You will likely run out of chicken stock before the rice is tender and swimming in a slight creamy sauce; in which case, switch to water as needed. You will probably add about 8 cups of liquid overall. I didn't take a photo until after the meal had been eaten, so mine is not as saucy as it was when it went on the table - the rice continues to absorb the liquid. Leftover reheat reasonably well, but I think it is best when freshly made.




Last year at this time I made Orange & Red Cabbage Salad with Feta Cheese & Nuts and Purple Potato Soup with Sauerkraut.