Now an Edmonds always carries through with drunk promises of food, so they were rather surprised when I facebooked them asking if Monday night was all right for them and if a risotto of some sort and gluten-free self-saucing pudding was cool by them. Which it was, funnily enough.
Now, one of my friends happens to be gluten-free so I decided to make another risotto, as they are simple-as to convert to a gluten-free option. All you have to do is switch the normal chicken stock to a gluten-free chicken stock brand. Easy as that.
I felt meaty risotto was in order and I had a couple of Portobello mushrooms casually chilling in the fridge. So the chicken and mushroom risotto was born. Just as last week, I used my normal pea risotto base (sans peas of course) and added pan-fried pieces of chicken tenderloins and pan-fried sliced mushrooms.
I feel this recipe is cheating, as it is really basically the same as last week's. But regardless, I feel it enforces the point that risottos are a highly versatile and delicious option which work with most random ingredients you happen to find in your fridge.
The final product, however, was a funny grey colour. This is due to the mushroom juice, but we got over that once we tasted it.
So, since I babbled on about the joys of risotto last week, I shall get right to the point.
Serves 4
300g chicken tenderloins or breast
300g mushrooms (Portobello work best but button will suffice), sliced
50g butter
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
7-8 cups chicken stock
1 cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan to serve, if desired
Pan-fry the chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides and leave to one side.
Sauté the mushroom slices until soft and juicy. Also leave to one side.
Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over a medium heat in a large saucepan until translucent, not brown.
Add the Arborio rice and toast gently for a couple of minutes.
Add the white wine and stir until it has all been absorbed.
Gradually add the chicken stock one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until the water has almost absorbed before adding the next cup. Add as much water as you need to bring the rice to a soft al dente texture. This will take about 30 minutes.
Stir in the grated cheese.
Mix in the chicken and mushrooms and stir over the heat until heated through.
Serve with grated parmesan and a good grinding of fresh black pepper.
Enjoy!
