Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

A classic risotto dish that comes together in one pot in less than an hour. The result is comfort food at its finest – creamy, earthy flavours and lots of texture. It’s super easy, and reheats perfectly too!

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 cups shredded roast chicken breast

3 cups arborio rice

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, diced

400 g mushrooms, sliced

1.50 cups white wine

1 L chicken stock

180 g spinach, roughly chopped

⅔ cup cream or mascarpone

⅓ cup grated parmesan, plus extra for serving

1 tbsp mixed herbs such as sage, thyme, marjoram (optional)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 cups shredded roast chicken breast

3 cups arborio rice

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, diced

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

1.50 cups white wine

4 cups chicken stock

6 oz spinach, roughly chopped

⅔ cup cream or mascarpone

⅓ cup grated parmesan, plus extra for serving

1 tbsp mixed herbs such as sage, thyme, marjoram (optional)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Ingredients note

I like the chicken in my risotto to be soft and tender, so I buy a roasted chicken and shred the breast meat and add it at the very end – this also makes cooking the risotto quicker and easier. You can buy chicken breast and roast it yourself, or dice and cook the chicken breast at the very start of cooking – remove it once cooked, and add it back at the end.
Arborio rice is the classic risotto rice, although I prefer carnaroli rice if I can find it.
Mascarpone gives a richer flavour than cream, but either will work and both are delicious!
Instead of onion, you can use spring onions or leek if you prefer or have them on hand (leek gives a milder, creamier taste than regular onion).
You can substitute the white wine for additional chicken stock or water if preferred.

Directions

Cook the ingredients

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, or until softened.

2. Add the butter and, once melted, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and softened (about 4 minutes).

3. Add the rice and stir it around the pot for about 2 minutes to toast it (keep stirring so it doesn’t burn).

Cook the risotto

1. Pour in the wine, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

2. Once the wine has mostly absorbed, add just enough chicken stock to cover the rice and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Again, stir occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

Tip: Most recipes will tell you to warm the stock before you add it – I don’t generally bother (as long as the stock isn’t fridge-cold to begin with), and haven’t found that it impacts the flavour.

3. Once that stock has mostly absorbed, add more stock again to cover the rice. Continue doing this until you’ve used all the stock, or until the rice is al dente.

Tip: The best way to know when risotto is ready is to taste it regularly toward the end of cooking. When the rice has the perfect texture (with a tiny bit of bite left), it’s time to add the cream.

4. Add the chicken, spinach, cream, parmesan and salt and pepper (and herbs, if using), and mix everything together. Keep the heat on low, as we just want to warm these ingredients for about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally as this will help the ingredients to warm through, and help the spinach to wilt.

5. Turn the heat off, and check the consistency of the risotto – if it’s too dry, add some more stock, cream or water (it will thicken more on standing and continue to absorb any excess liquid quite quickly).

Serve the risotto in bowls topped with extra grated parmesan. To reheat this dish in the microwave or stovetop, always add a few tablespoons of water and stir intermittently. If the risotto mixture is dry, add more water and continue to heat gently until it comes together with the right consistency.

Wine pairing

Most white wines will pair well with this risotto, but I would tend toward richer white styles such as a Semillon or Roussanne blend, or even a Chardonnay or Marsanne. I wouldn’t pair a rose or red white wine with this, as the wine would deminish the flavours of the dish.