Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

The classic Chicken and Mushroom Risotto is one of those famous dishes that everyone enjoys. Its warm, comforting flavors are a hallmark of hearty home cooking, and it’s the perfect meal to enjoy during those cooler months of the year. In this recipe we use Morel Mushrooms, which are an amazing Mushroom famous for their earthy and nutty flavors. The Mushrooms are used to create a rich Mushroom Broth to flavor the Risotto. The whole dish tastes so good, and is very easy to make at home

The secret to a great Risotto lies in the quality of the Broth

Over the years we’ve learnt to hone the craft of making a great Risotto. I always thought the best way to get more flavor into the Risotto was to simply add more toppings like proteins and produce. However, this is not the case at all. In fact, the true flavor creator in Risotto is the Broth that is used for the Rice to absorb

The best Risottos use flavored Broth instead of Water. In fact, I would highly recommend against using Water whenever you’re making Risotto, as it will simply mute all of the other flavors in the dish. You want to make a Broth that is loaded with concentrated flavors, as those flavors will infuse themselves into the Risotto Rice

Whenever you are making Risotto, try to use a Broth that highlights the key ingredient in the dish. In this instance, the big flavors we’re looking for is Mushrooms. So, naturally, a Mushroom Broth makes sense. Unlike other broths like Chicken and Beef, Mushroom Broth takes very little time to make. Only about 20 minutes in fact

How to make a delicious Mushroom Broth for your Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

The simple way to make Mushroom Broth is to soak dried Mushrooms in boiling hot water for about 20 minutes. The Mushrooms will re-hydrate and their amazing flavor will seep into the water, creating a dark brown broth that’s loaded with Mushroom flavor

You can use any type of dried Mushrooms to create Mushroom Broth. For this recipe we used a combination of Morel and Porcini Mushrooms. Both these Mushroom types have a strong earthy flavor, which makes them perfect for making a beautiful Broth from

Once you’ve created your Mushroom Broth, strain the Mushrooms out of the liquid and retain both of them, and the liquid. The rehydrated Mushrooms can then be chopped up and used in the cooking of the Chicken and Mushroom Risotto, adding even more Mushrooms to the dish!

It’s time to build the Risotto!

Making the Risotto requires a little bit of time and patience, as the process of perfectly cooking the Rice is one that takes about 35 – 40 minutes. Once you’ve cooked down some Onion, Garlic, and Mushrooms in a large pan, deglaze the whole thing with Wine and then add your Rice

Allow the Rice to get nicely coated with the juices from the pan (oh, did we mention we add a load of Butter in there to kick things off? Well, we do!) and cook it for a few minutes so it can slightly toast. Then the Risotto building begins!

Ladle in about 1 cup of the Mushroom Broth (which we recommend you leave over a very low heat on the stovetop so it’s warm) and mix it through the Rice. The Rice will take a few minutes to absorb it. Once it’s about 90% completely absorbed, add the second cup of Mushroom Broth

Continue this process until the Rice is perfectly cooked and beautifully tender. The consistency of the Risotto should be slightly runny, and not all clumpy. This is the sign of a perfect Risotto. We found for about 1 ½ cups of Rice, the Risotto needed around 8 cups of Mushroom Broth

If you run out of Mushroom Broth, try adding some Chicken Stock to the dish

This dish is predominantly Mushroom flavored, but Chicken is also included. Therefore, if you run out of Mushroom Broth (which is a very real possibility) then you can top the dish up with Chicken Stock for the remaining cups required

Chicken Stock will add not only a beautiful Chicken flavor to the Risotto, but give the dish a slightly more viscous texture, which is great for Risotto. Whatever you do, avoid using plain water to complete the Dish and opt for Stock. You can even just use Stock Cubes that have dissolved in Water if you need to

While the Mushroom is cooking you can pay fry your Chicken

I like to multi-task when making our Chicken Mushroom Risotto, as you’ll be standing by the stove for a while keeping an eye on that Risotto. There’s therefore no better time to fry up the Chicken that while the Risotto is cooking away

You can keep this simple and just pan-fry the Chicken. For a little bit of extra flavor, we recommend coating the Chicken in a light coating of seasoned Flour, and pan fry the Chicken with a touch of hot Neutral Oil

The seasoning we add to the Flour that breads the Chicken is a combination of Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder. This combination of flavors really pops, and allows the Chicken to really compliment those big Mushroom flavors in the Risotto

We use Chicken Thighs are they are easy to cook and stay tender, even when re-heated. So you can always cook your Chicken in advance and simply reheat it on the stovetop once the Risotto is ready

Finalizing the Risotto and Plating the Dish

To finish the Mushroom Risotto, I like to add a squeeze of Lemon Juice and some freshly chopped Parsley. This helps to just brighten up the dish in general and allows all the flavors to really stand out. Finally, it’s not Risotto without Parmesan Cheese, so add about ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and we’re all done!

To plate the Chicken and Mushroom Risotto, add a generous helping of Risotto to a plate or bowl. Slice the Chicken into strips and place them straight on top of the Risotto. You can also simply chop up the Chicken into bite-sized chunks and mix it through the Risotto, however I like slicing it on top as it makes the plate look beautiful

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Thighs
• 50g dried Mushrooms (Morel and Porcini recommended)
• 40g Unsalted Butter
• 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 2 cups of Fresh Mushrooms (Button, Cremini, or Portobello), roughly chopped
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
• 1 cup White Wine
• ½ cup Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Pan Fried Chicken Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Thighs
• ½ cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Salt
• ½ tsp. Black Pepper
• ½ tsp. Onion Powder
• ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tbsp. Neutral Oil
  
  

Instructions

1. Place the Dried Mushrooms in a large bowl and fill with boiling water (at least 8 cups). Sit for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Strain and reserve the Mushroom Broth liquid and place it in a saucepan over very low heat. Cut up the rehydrated Mushrooms and set aside
3. Melt Butter in a large pot over medium heat then add the Onions and Mushrooms (both fresh and rehydrated). Cook for about 10 minutes until vegetables begin to caramelize
4. Add the Rice and stir through well. Cook for about 2 minutes to slightly toast, then add White Wine to deglaze. Once Wine has cooked down, ladle in 1 cup of the Mushroom Broth and stir into the Rice until almost completely absorbed
5. Repeat this process of adding 1 cup of Broth at a time until the Rice is completely cooked, and the Risotto has a smooth, slightly runny consistency. It should take about 8 cups of Broth
   
   

Cooking the Chicken

6. While you are adding in Stock you can prepare the Chicken. Combine the Flour with Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder in a bowl and mix well
7. Coat the Chicken in the flour then pat off any excess. Heat the Neutral Oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the Chicken
8. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes until the internal temperature of the Chicken is 160F. Remove from heat and set aside
   
   

Finishing the Risotto and Plating

9. Once the Risotto is cooked, remove from heat and add Lemon Juice, Parsley, and Parmesan Cheese. Taste for seasoning
10. Add a generous spoonful or two to individual serving bowls. Slice the Chicken and place over the top before serving
    
    

Recipe Notes

• If you run out of Mushroom Broth we recommend also using Chicken Stock (either homemade or using Stock Cubes) until the Rice is completely cooked
• For a simpler dish you can lightly season the Chicken with Salt and Pepper and pan fry. No need for the Flour coating
  
  

This tasty Chicken and Mushroom Risotto is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s big flavors and heartiness are the perfect meal to feed a hungry family, especially during the cooler months of the year. It’s a classic recipe for a reason; it tastes so good!

Here are some more tasty classic family meals that you can whip up if you enjoy this recipe:

• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
• Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken
• Classic Lasagna
• Butter Chicken
  
  

Happy Cooking!