Risotto with Chicken, Mushrooms and Lemon

Adapted from a recipe at KitchenNoob.blogspot.com

Last night The Lady delighted The Man and moi to risotto, a dish that requires about 20-30 minutes of constant stirring… this is no wham, bam, thank you mam recipe to make…

She found this recipe at TheKitchenNoob.blogspot.com and recommends you check out the site.

Risotto is not a difficult dish to make but it takes constant stirring and that can be annoying to those who seek instant gratification from their rice dishes…

The Lady boiled two whole Foster Farms chickens to make her stock. She used the meat to make this dish and chicken pot pies which she froze for the future eating pleasure for The Man while she is in Italy next week. I gotta tell you leaving me here to wrangle The Man is getting old… what happened to the good ole days??? But I digress…

Ingredients:

EVOO

Boneless chicken, 2 Cups, chopped coarsely – The Lady prefers thigh meat when she has a choice (here she used the meat from the boiled chickens). If you aren’t making stock, you’ll want to sauté your raw chicken until cooked through and lightly browned.

Salt to taste

Small jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained (The original recipe called for 9 ounces of frozen artichokes; The Lady used what she had on hand, but more would have been better – the artichokes got lost in the recipe)

5-7 Cups of Chicken Stock, with a couple small Parm-Reg rinds thrown in for extra flavor

2 Small Onions from The Garden of The Man, chopped – The Lady used the tops as well

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

4 Large White Mushrooms, sliced

12 ounces Arborio Rice

Zest of one Lemon

1 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

¼ Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped (also from The Garden of The Man)

¼ Cup Pecorino Romano, grated (Parm-Reg would also work, The Lady used what she had on hand)

Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Preparations:

Because The Lady used chicken she had cooked while making the stock, she skipped the first step. If you are using raw chicken, obviously you will need to sauté it in olive oil until fully cooked and lightly browned. The Lady prefers boneless/skinless thighs as they have more flavor but use what you like.

Chop the artichoke hearts. If using frozen, sauté in a little olive oil until brown. Set aside.

Bring stock to a boil. The Lady threw in a couple Parm/Reg rinds to add more flavor. Reduce and keep at a simmer.

Add a little EVOO to a large sauce pan and sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms on medium. Add the rice and cook until the rice begins to turn translucent.

Here’s where the fun begins…

Add one cup of broth to the rice and stir until the stock is absorbed. Continue to add stock ½ cup at a time; constantly stirring and when absorbed, add more stock until the rice is just tender. This will take about 20-30 minutes depending on your heat level.