Smoky Chicken Risotto
This dish is pretty quick to make, keeps well for leftovers and tastes pretty good.
This dish is pretty quick to make, keeps well for leftovers and tastes pretty good.
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock warmed, but not boiling (i do this in the microwave)
- 2/3 cup arborrio rice
- 2/3 cup wine dry, white or rose
- 3/4 cup corn cooked
- 1 handful cilantro chopped
- 3/4 pound chicken tenders bonless, skinless
- Carbohydrate 62.2807608333334 g
- Cholesterol 50.44 mg
- Fat 20.3437008326583 g
- Fiber 4.32407089794676 g
- Protein 26.6007766666667 g
- Saturated Fat 5.46089416657346 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (501g)
- Sodium 926.36289583332 mg
- Sugar 57.9566899353866 g
- Trans Fat 2.76067087498172 g
- Calories 566 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
- Add 1 tsp Olive Oil.
- Sweat the onions for about 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the Arborrio rice and continue sweating for about a minute.
- Add the wine to cover and stir to combine.
- When the rice begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes, add about 1/3 the chicken stock, the paprika and cumin.
- Stir to combine.
- Let this cook until the liquid no longer covers the top of the rice, about 10 minutes, stirring occationally.
- Meanwhile, heat another skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan).
- Season the chicken breast tenders with salt and pepper and sear in the skillet, 3-4 minutes per side.
- (Optionally, you can grill the chicken instead - both work well in this dish, but I don't currently have a grill).
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- When you can just barely see the rice above the liquid, add another 1/3 of the chicken stock and stir to combine.
- If the liquid starts to boil, turn the heat down until it is just below a simmer.
- Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until liquid no longer covers the rice, stirring occationally.
- Repeat this process again for the remaining chicken stock.
- Once the rice is tender, turn the heat to low.
- Cut of the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the rice.
- Add the diced tomato and the corn.
- Stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the parmesan cheese and cilantro and stir just until the parmesan chesse is integrated.
Why require two separate stovetop pans for a dish that ultimately recombines everything into one vessel at the end? This recipe demands simultaneous management of a skillet sweating arborrio rice and a secondary pan searing chicken tenders at medium-high heat. Warming the two cups of chicken stock ahead of time prevents the rice starches from seizing when liquid hits the pan. Keeping the stock warm, specifically by using a microwave-safe container for rapid heating, ensures the cooking temperature remains stable throughout the incremental additions.
Managing Dual-Pan Execution
Sweating the diced medium onion in one teaspoon of olive oil for three to four minutes until translucent builds the foundational aromatics without browning them aggressively. Meanwhile, searing the chicken tenders for three to four minutes per side develops a necessary crust before slicing the meat into bite-sized pieces for the final fold-in.
- Use a wide skillet or wok to maximize surface area evaporation during the rice simmering phases.
- Keep stock warmed but strictly unboiled to avoid premature reduction before the arborrio absorbs the moisture.
- Stir the rice only occasionally during the ten-minute liquid absorption intervals to encourage proper starch release.
