As a Xmas gift last year, I received a gift voucher for a Home Baking course at the Cookery School in Glasgow. It was a whole day of baking sweet treats, which was great, but my favourite dish of the day was the chicken and chorizo risotto we were taught for our lunches! I’m a savoury girl at heart, and I have made this many times since. People always make out that risotto is a difficult thing to do, but I disagree. As long as you keep stirring the rice whilst it absorbs the stock, you can’t go wrong!
The most important thing I was taught, was to prepare everything before I cook it. Sounds like common sense, but there has been many a time I have over-browned onions, whilst frantically peeling/chopping other things. So, for this dish I made sure everything was prepared before I started it, which made the rest of the cooking quite therapeutic actually!
Ingredients (Serves 2-3):
150g arborio rice
100g chorizo sausage, diced
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 onion diced (I also threw in a wee spare shallot)
300g chestnut mushrooms (I like alot of mushrooms)
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 litre chicken stock (you might not need all of this though)
50g cheese (goats cheese is delish, but I used mature cheddar for this)
Directions:
Fry the chicken and chorizo in olive oil until browned.
Toss in the veg (as shown on the plate) and fry for 5-10 mins.
Add the risotto rice and stir for 5 mins, getting them nicely toasted for the best flavour.
Pour in a ladlefull of your stock, then stir and let the risotto absorb it all.
Repeat until either the stock is finished or the risotto is al dente (usually after about 25-30 mins stirring). It’s important to keep stirring, making sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan.
Turn off the heat and add your grated cheese, stirring through.
The flavours in this dish are amazing, try it! 🙂
I LOVE risotto – and you’re right, it’s an easy dish to make as long as you keep stirring and know when to stop (I’ve had risottos that have turned out like mush!) Will definitely be trying this!
I know what you mean, I’m quite bad for overcooking pasta (the shame), but I think I’m just so hungry stirring away at the risotto, that it’s on the plate as soon as I feel it’s ready enough hee hee! Hope you like it! 🙂
I love risotto too and I’m definitely going to try this one out as I am a big chorizo fan too! I will let you know how I get on.
Do you think the chicken could be cooked in the oil from the chorizo?
Oooh brilliant Giles, looking forward to hearing how it turns out!
I suppose you could cook the chicken with the chorizo oil, I just shoved both in at the same time for quickness and used oil so that the chicken didn’t stick to the pan. 🙂
Catherine, I’m so glad I found your blog! Your risotto sounds delicious. I’ll be back to visit often. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
Aww thank you Mary, likewise!! 🙂
I love risotto .. and I love the feeling of calmness making it engenders, just standing there, stirring slowly and meditatively. That sounds delicious, Catherine. I must try it!
It is very calming isn’t it Wendy? My sister kept asking if she could stir for a while; I must’ve looked serene ha! I hope you like it! 🙂
mmmmm risotto! Sounds great, I agree that risotto is easy to make although I often cheat and cook it in the oven (like Delia) as I don’t have the patience to stir for half an hour.
Ooooh does that work well then, Janice? I’d be too tempted to peek in and stir it every so often, I’m feart that things will burn if I look away from them hee hee! 🙂
Thank you for this interesting recipe!
I found you thanks to Chocolate & Zucchini. 😉
I love risotto. I am using parboiled whole-grain rice (yes, not as creamy, but the health benefits should make up for that) that I found here and it is quite a good substitute for the “real” thing.
I’m glad you found me, Merisi, as I just had a look at your own blog and it’s wonderful!
I never knew you could use whole-grain rice! Thats good to know, should I ever run out of arborio (which I thought I did the other day). 🙂
oh my good ness! This is perfect for all the ingredients I have sitting in my fridge! I will have to make it asap. thanks for the recipe
You’re very welcome, Tianne, enjoy! 🙂
Well said about preparing in advance – I am terrible for just throwing stuff together then cursing when I end up in a muddle and run behind!
I do love chicken and chorizo together though, even more so in a risotto, all the flavours seem to complement beautifully! If you like petit poit too this is my take on it : http://anneskitchen1.blogspot.com/2008/06/chicken-chorizo-and-petit-pois-risotto.html
🙂
I just had a look Anne, that looks delicious! The petit poit would give the dish a nice texture and lightness, I think, I will try it next time round! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Risotto is like the ultimate one bowl food. I love mine with leeks too!
I think it becomes even more enjoyable when you finally sit down to it, cos you’ve been preparing it for so long! Ooooh good call with the leeks, I can imagine a yummy leek and mushroom risotto happening in my kitchen soon! 🙂
What an awesome spin on risotto! Love the creativity!
Thanks for your comment Maris, I’d love to take credit for this, but it was the chef at the Cookery School who taught me it, give or take a couple ingredients (can’t for the life of me remember his name though!) 🙂
I require this.
Hi there!
Thought I’d let you know I made this and it was lush! I always use a glass of wine before adding my stock, and as an extra indulgence I used the bottle of Cava I had left over from Christmas (not the whole bottle!). I also added some freshly chopped parsley before serving and used Parmesan to finish the dish – fabulous!
Thanks for the idea! x
Yaaay! Oooh the addition of Cava sounds sublime! You’re very welcome for the idea, I’m delighted that it went well 🙂 x
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I love this Risotto so much Cat! The flavours are just so unbelievably amazing on the buds 😀
I keep thinking about it since the first time I made it and have told so many people about it! Was telling my mum and dad about it on holiday and told them I’d make it next time I’m at theirs. Well, I’m going there tonight BUT I have just read your parmesan and mushroom one and now I don’t know what to do!!!
Thank you again for bringing this into my life! I think it may possibly be my favourite meal ever!!xxx
Aww Heather! :’) I would defo go for the chorizo & chicken one over the parmesan & mushroom one; it’s a bit more special I think 🙂
Ooooh I hope they like it! 😀 xxxx
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