Name: Chicken and Chorizo Risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 100g / 3.5oz cherry tomatoes; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 large red onion, finely diced; 100g / 3.5oz chorizo, diced; 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces; 2 cloves garlic, finely diced or crushed; 400g / 14oz arborio rice (see note 1); 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves (see note 2); 250ml white wine (see note 3); 1l / 4 cups chicken stock; 100g / 3.5oz frozen peas; 50g / 1.75oz parmesan, finely grated (see note 4)

Question 1

What is it?

Accepted Answer

Risotto is an Italian dish that combines rice with ingredients such as vegetables, meat, fish or chicken. The rice is slowly cooked with consistent and small additions of stock which combines with the starchiness of the rice to give an impossibly creamy and decadent texture.

This chicken and chorizo risotto combines warming chorizo with tender chicken thigh meat for a delicious and hearty dish. Sweet green peas and roasted tomatoes add extra texture along with a smattering of rosemary and garlic to make a truly decadent meal.

Question 2

What kind of rice do I need to use?

Accepted Answer

Risotto requires high-starch short-grain rice to achieve that creamy texture. These varieties also absorb liquids really well and therefore provide a stickier texture. 

The most commonly used risotto rice is Arborio, which is commonly available. Other varieties which work really well are Carnaroli and Violane Nano, which are more expensive and revered as the creme de la creme of risotto ingredients. For this recipe Arborio rice will do just fine and, providing you follow the tips below, you'll have a restaurant-worthy result.

Question 3

How do I make perfect risotto?

Accepted Answer

There are a few things you can do to make sure you have a perfectly cooked dish, every time:

1.	Use warm stock. Cold stock won't cook through as evenly and the texture won't be as creamy
2.	Use the right ratio of rice to stock. You need around 4x more stock than rice by volume (eg, 1 cup of rice = 4 cups of stock). You can always add more if needed during cooking.
3.	Deglaze with acid. After sautéing your soffritto (a mixture of diced onion and other vegetables often used as the base), deglaze the pan with wine. This will help to loosen any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan (which adds loads of flavour). Plus, the acidity adds an extra flavour dimension. If you don't cook with wine, then you can use a little lemon juice. 
4.	Toast the rice. This helps to preserve the texture of the rice by sealing the edges. This will stop it absorbing the liquid too quickly and turning mushy.
5.	Use a wide pan rather than a smaller and deeper one. This will help the dish to cook more evenly.
6.	Stir regularly, but not too much. Stirring is essential as it helps agitate the rice which results in the grains rubbing together and releasing starch from the surface of the grains. This is vital for the creamy texture. However, if you stir too often it can make it turn more gluey than lightly sticky. One stir per minute is more than enough. 
7.	Don’t rush it. Adding the liquid slowly allows it to be fully absorbed into the rice grains, leaving you with creamy rice and avoiding a sloppy liquid at the bottom of the dish. However, you don’t need to overdo it – around 15 minutes of time after you’ve added the first ladle of stock is enough, with a few minutes at the end to let everything come together.

Question 4

How do I know when my risotto is done?

Accepted Answer

Getting the right texture is the most difficult part of the process. You should expect to cook the risotto for around 18 minutes to achieve this (give or take a couple of minutes). The first thing to note is the texture of the rice. It should be al dente - cooked but still slightly firm. 

The texture of the dish should also be creamy and oozing. It shouldn't be dry enough that you can mold it into a shape and you should be able to drag a wooden spoon through the mixture and see it slowly flow back into place rather than stick in place. When you pile it onto a plate it should also spread evenly out, but not have any liquid seeping out. 

If it's too dry you can add a little more stock, or even water, until you get the consistency you want. If it's too liquid but the rice is done, then turn up the heat to quickly evaporate some of the juices.

Question 5

Can I make it in advance?

Accepted Answer

Risotto is the kind of dish that should be made to order, not in advance. However, you can safely make it in advance, the texture just won't be quite as creamy and may turn stickier. 

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the hob/stove, oven or in the microwave. Make sure it is steaming hot before eating. Add a splash of stock if it is starting to dry out. I don't recommend freezing it as the rice will turn very hard when defrosted.

Chicken and Chorizo Risotto

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition