Chicken and mushroom risotto

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Risotto is a beautiful thing, and just about everyone will have their own version. This risotto hits ALL the umami flavour notes, as well as having a great balance of macros - chicken for protein, rice for carbs, Extra Virgin Olive Oil for good fats and of course a virtual truckload of plant-based goodies from the aromatics and the mushrooms.

I love it for a cozy, comforting dinner with plenty of leftovers for stashing in the freezer or taking for lunches during the week. And although it takes a little time and the odd stir, it is at it’s essence a one-pot wonder.

vitamin D anD shrooms - the backstory

Okay so this is a very cool little fact you should know! Mushrooms (just like us) are able to produce their own vitamin D, when exposed to sunlight. All you need to do is put your mushies outside (gills up) for 15-30 minutes to have a little sunbake. You can then store them back in the fridge, or cook them up. Once generated, the vitamin D content of mushrooms is stable during storage or cooking. If they’ve been sunshine activated, just 3 regular sized mushrooms provides our daily vitamin D needs.

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Chicken and mushroom risotto

Serves: 6-8

Author: Marnie, Fork That Nutrition

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

A comforting, nutrient dense risotto with ALL the umami flavours. Freezes well for meal prep.

Ingredients

• 50g dried mushrooms
• 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 chicken breast fillets, sliced into medium sized cubes
• 1 leek, washed and sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
• 1 large tsp dried thyme
• 3 cups arborio rice
• ½ cup white wine
• 250-300g fresh mushrooms of choice, sliced
• 5-6 cups good chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 80g butter, cubed
• 100g parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions

1. Tip the dried mushrooms into a small jug or bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to soak for around 30-45 minutes.
2. Slice the chicken, then heat some of the olive oil in the pan, fry quickly over high heat just to seal and brown a little (2 minutes). The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through. Remove and set aside, covered with foil.
3. In a large pot, add the remaining oil and saute the leek and garlic over medium low heat to soften (3-5 minutes). Add the thyme and rice, and stir to coat in the oil for a few minutes.
4. Add the wine and allow to cook off for another few minutes, then add the fresh mushrooms and stir through, followed by 3 cups of the stock.
5. Now drain the soaking mushrooms (don't forget to reserve the fragrant mushroomy broth), chop finely, and add them to the pot.
6. Gradually add the remaining stock and mushroom broth over the next 30 minutes or so, stirring well between additions to dislodge any rice grains that stick to the bottom of the pan. You’re done when the rice is cooked to your liking (aim for a somewhat sloppy texture rather than too thick and stodgy).
7. Finally, add the chicken and any juices back in to warm through for 3-4 minutes, then switch off the heat and stir through the butter, parmesan and parsley.

Notes

If you're using chicken thigh instead of breast, you can add it back in for the last 20 minutes, rather than the last 2-3 minutes.

You can use a variety of mushrooms, depending what is available to you - I like Swiss brown, porchini and regular button mushrooms.

If you want a less rich risotto, you can obviously leave out the butter, or replace with a good drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

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