Chicken Risotto with Mushrooms and Thyme

This chicken risotto recipe is a quick and easy comfort food dinner that the whole family can enjoy. Add the mushrooms if you are a fan or leave them out. Either way this risotto will leave you feeling satisfied but won’t weigh you down. I’m ashamed to admit that there was a time in my life when I thought that all rice dishes taste the same, by which I mean bland. It took a year living in the Philippines to show me the incredible variety of flavorful dishes that could be made out of rice. The recipe for chicken risotto I am sharing today is far from Asian style of eating rice. But what they have in common is using rice as the star of the show. The magic of risotto rice is the creaminess it brings to a dish. Luxurious, decadent creaminess that I just can’t get enough of. To make a good thing even better, we’ve added savory chicken, nutty mushrooms and salty Parmesan cheese. Intrigued? I hope so, because you are going to love this one! This risotto is not a side dish. Not an afterthought. It is truly a main course, delicious and satisfying in every way.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots or 1 onion, chopped
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
150g/5oz mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
300g/1.5 cups Arborio rice
125ml/1/2 cup dry white wine, or Vermouth
1 liter/4 cups water
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
50g/1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Chop the shallots and mince the garlic, cube the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Cut mushrooms in half and leave the small ones whole. Take the thyme leaves off their stems and place all ingredients in front of you until needed. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large and deep pan or a wide pot if you don’t have a deep pan. Add shallots and sauté over low heat for 1 minute, then add cut up chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and sauté over medium heat until just sealed but not cooked all the way through. Then add mushrooms and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes longer, then add minced garlic and give everything a quick stir. Add arborio rice and sauté while stirring until all rice is even coated with the olive oil for about 1 minute, then pour in white wine and start scraping down the bottom of the pan to release all the brown bit into the broth, let it simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add ¼ of the water and thyme, stir and let it simmer for a few minutes over medium heat. The water should be just above the rice when you first add it. Once you see the water going down add a bit more and stir. Repeat until all water is gone and the rice is cooked but still slightly chewy. Give it a quick stir every time you add more water or stock if using. Once the rice is cooked and the risotto is nice and creamy consistency, stir in grated Parmesan cheese, stir until melted, then taste it and season with salt. Cover with a lid and let it stand for 5 minutes. Serve with more grated Parmesan and black pepper.

Notes
If your rice is cooked but the risotto looks a bit dry, add ¼ cup of water or stock and stir over very low heat.

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