Chicken And Mushroom Risotto

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Ingredients

10g dried wild mushrooms

1 litre just-boiled water

1 chicken stock cube

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

150g small chestnut mushrooms

25g Parmesan cheese, finely grated

wiped and sliced 1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

150g risotto rice (Arborio)

2 tbsp half-fat crème fraiche

flaked sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

add a dash of white wine to the water! (optional)

Directions

  • Put the dried mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl and pour over 100ml of the just-boiled water. Pour the rest of the water into a medium saucepan and stir in the stock cube until dissolved. Leave the mushrooms to soak.
  • Put the chicken breasts in the chicken stock - the liquid should just cover them. Place over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 10 minutes, turning after the first 5 minutes. The liquid should just simmer gently-don't let it boil. Lift the chicken breasts out of the stock with tongs and put them on a board to cool a little.
  • Place a large non-stick saucepan on the hob over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Fry the sliced chestnut mushrooms for 3 minutes until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook with the mushrooms for 3 minutes until pale golden brown, stirring. Stir in the rice and cook for a minute with the vegetables, stirring constantly until the grains look translucent.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a large ladleful of the hot stock to the pan and stir well. As soon as it has been absorbed, add another ladleful. Continue gradually adding stock to the pan until it has all been used and the rice is looking swollen and creamy but isn't quite tender. This will take about 25 minutes and you need to keep stirring.
  • Just before the rice is ready, drain the dried mushrooms through a fine sieve placed over a bowl and reserve the soaking liquid. Roughly chop the mushrooms and add them to the pan with the rice. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid and cook for a couple of minutes while you prepare the chicken. The risotto should look fairly saucy at this point, so if yours looks quite thick, stir in some extra water.
  • Cut the chicken into strips and stir them into the rice. Add the Parmesan and heat through for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Stir in the crème fraiche, cover with a lid and leave the risotto to stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.
  • SERVES 4
  • 317 calories per portion

Recipe By : The Hairy Dieters (white book)