Risotto is one of those mouth-watering comfort foods that you just have to love. It’s like a glorified chicken and rice dish that is all grown up. It may not be that pretty, but hardly a grain is left in the pan after everyone fights for the last spoonful. I learned how to make it from a friend who’s husband is from Italy. That would explain the “authentic” part of my title. Real people from Italy are great cooks. No lie.

This risotto recipe is with chicken, a bit of rosemary, a dash of garlic salt and white wine. However, there are as many risotto recipes as there are American recipes for Thanksgiving Turkey. I love it with mushrooms … but my family prefers the chicken and rosemary version the best.

It’s important that you follow the steps, because Risotto is a dish that requires a lot of babysitting. Read them all below before you begin (or watch my video to get a visual – and audio – on the process). I took the liberty of adding the ingredient amounts here on my recipe, but I usually eyeball it (as you will see in the video).

Ignore my Texan drawl and dirty kitchen. I enjoy keepin’ it real for you guys… to my husband’s dismay.

Ingredients:

• 1 or 1.5 cups risotto rice (white arborio) – don’t substitute regular short or long grain white rice, or even basmati – it’s not the same thing!
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 quart plus a 14 oz can of chicken broth (plus a few tablespoons of water – optional) – I use home made broth and just refrigerate the rest that I don’t use for the recipe, usually I use about 1.5 quarts. Note: when you re-boil home-made chicken broth, it helps it keep longer in the refrigerator.
• onion (1/2 or small)
• cooked rotisserie chicken (we use the leftover meat after we eat rotisserie for dinner, about 1.5 cups of cut up chicken – this dish is a great way to hide dark meat if you prefer white… but you can also sub chopped up pan-fried tenders lightly seasoned with rosemary, garlic salt and pepper)
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (no powder!)
• 1/4 cup whole or 2% milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup dry white cooking wine
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions:
Step 1 – Put your chicken broth and water on the stove to boil (heat to hot). You can’t use cold broth or the rice will take too long to cook and be mushy. You’ll need a ladle or measuring cup to scoop and put broth in pan later. Chop your onion.

Step 2 – Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil and the butter in a large skillet (cast iron works well, but any will do – I prefer my wok) and add your onion. Sauté until slightly tender and add rice. Coat rice well with oil and let sizzle and toast.

Step 3 – Pour your white wine in and stir well. Pour two ladles (about 1.5-2 cups) of HOT chicken broth into pan and stir rice well. Keep the heat high (about 7 or 8 on your stove-top’s setting). The point is to keep the rice moist with broth, cooking it over medium-high heat and put another ladle of broth in just as the previous ladle is cooking out. Never let the rice dry out or burn, but don’t smother it with liquid, either.

You don’t use a lid to cook this rice, and it takes about 30 minutes from the time you first start putting liquid on the rice until it is completely finished. The final result will be a creamy (but not mushy) rice mixture.

You’ll need to be available to stir often, especially right after you spoon the broth in. There’s about 5-8 minutes in-between ladles depending on your stove; which is plenty of time to make a salad or other green vegetable on the side – or bread sticks/garlic bread. You can also fry and tear up your chicken or pick it off the rotisserie bone and prepare it to toss into the rice.

Step 4 – Toss chicken in with rice when it is almost finished cooking. Throw in your rosemary as whole sprigs that can be pulled out before eating – for flavor only.

Step 5 – Taste the rice to see if it is done. Let the broth evaporate mostly out of the rice and leave your pan on hot. Be sure to stay at the stove for the last step – you don’t want your milk to burn or your cheesy rice to stick to the pan. Add your milk and Parmesan, making sure to stir well. Lower your heat to medium.

Step 6 – Salt and pepper to taste and stir before serving hot (making sure to warn little people in high chairs that it burns if it drips on your leg – #truestory). Enjoy!

Goes well with peas, green beans, salad, and crusty bread.

Be sure to leave me a comment if you make this dish and let me know what your family thought of it! It may not be a pretty dish, but it sure hits the spot – especially on a week night when you want to make something that doesn’t require a million ingredients… or a cold winter’s evening! Who am I kidding?! We ate this for lunch today – in May! It’s great all year round.

{ Buon appetito! }

In Him,

Heather

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