Chicken risotto

This chicken risotto includes a brilliant Italian risotto cooking tip known as “mantecatura”, which is the concept of whipping butter and cheese into the just-cooked al dente risotto rice, just before serving.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Chicken & Rice

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 80 g butter, chilled, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 400 g arborio rice (about 2 cups)
• 1.5 litres chicken stock, warmed
• 1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1 cm chunks
• 500 g chicken thigh, cut into 2 cm chunks
• 100 g frozen peas
• 100 g grated parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil and half the butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and cook, stirring until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice and cook for a further 1 minute, until lightly toasted.
   
2. Add 2 large ladles of the warmed stock and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring until liquid is almost absorbed. Continue to add remaining stock (about a ladle at a time) along with the capsicum, zucchini and chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes, adding the peas in last 2 mins of cooking time, until the stock is absorbed and rice is tender, yet firm to the bite. You may need to add a touch of water at the end.
   
3. Remove the risotto from the heat. Whip the cheese and remaining butter through the rice, until the butter melts. Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Chicken & Rice

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G