Risotto

This simple dish has to be one of the supreme comfort foods. A mouthful of the broth-saturated grains makes a rainy day better, comforts a life-battered heart and satisfies the hungriest of stomachs. It is reminiscent of by-gone days when mom used to warm a blustery day with her best chicken noodle soup or cheer a sick girlie with a special bowl of Gramma's rice pudding.

A bowl of elegant risotto graced my table on Saturday night. It was presented as a balm for my husband -- to ease the pain of watching the Phillies slowly lose the pennant. While the game was a dismal failure, the risotto was not.

It was my first time making risotto. This velvety side dish is supposed to be very labor intensive, with constant stirring being an absolute requirement to make the rice turn beautifully creamy. However, this recipe requires only a few minutes of stirring at the end of cooking and the risotto still turns out miraculously creamy. A few tricks, like using a lot of liquid (the bubbling liquid agitates the grains, imitating stirring, and releases starches to thicken the risotto) and pulling the pot off the heat, covered, to finish cooking, ensure a tender, perfectly cooked risotto.

Risotto with Chicken and Herbs

Serves 6

Note: This recipe calls for shredded chicken. I usually cook mine in the crock pot in a little water until tender, about 4 hours on low. Alternatively, you could cook the chicken in the 6 cups of broth that you need for the recipe. You can also use rotisserie chicken. 

4 T. butter

1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup water (or dry white wine)

5 3/4 cups chicken broth (the 3/4 cups gets used later in the recipe)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (optional, especially if used as a side-dish)
1 tsp. lemon juice

2 T. chopped fresh parsley (I use a few shakes of dried)

In a large Dutch oven, melt 2 T. of the butter. 

Saute onion with the salt until softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add minced garlic and saute another 30 seconds. 

Add rice.

Cook rice, stirring frequently, until edges of the rice are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add water (or wine).

Stir constantly until water is fully absorbed, 2 - 3 minutes.

Stir in 5 cups of hot broth. 

Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 16 - 19 minutes, 

until all the water has been absorbed. Stir only TWICE during cooking. 

Then add 3/4 cup broth (or sometimes I just do water) to cooked risotto.
Stir constantly for 3 minutes, until creamy.

Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. 

Stir in shredded chicken, remaining 2 T. butter, lemon juice, and parsley. 

Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread. 

Note: I have successfully warmed up leftovers on the stovetop by adding a little water 

and stirring until heated through and creamy. 

This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated Magazine.