This chicken recipe is great for using leftovers from your Sunday roast and will really make a quick and easy week night dinner. It’s a risotto recipe that’s creamy and full of flavour thanks to the garlic, shallots and thyme.
This recipe makes enough risotto for four people, so it’s great for filling up the whole family and you can easily double the quantities if you’re feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 1.3 litres (2¼pt) light chicken or vegetable stock
- 75g (3oz) butter
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion or 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1tsp thyme leaves, chopped
- 300g (10oz) risotto rice
- 250g (9oz) cold, roast chicken, torn into chunks
- 2tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 1tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Method
Place the stock in a saucepan and heat gently to simmering point. Melt 50g (2oz) butter with the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and cook on a gentle heat until soft but without any colour. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a further minute.
Add the rice and stir well so that every grain is coated with the buttery juices. Start adding the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. After 15 minutes, add the chicken to heat it through, with the remaining stock. After 20 minutes, the rice should be cooked through with just a slight bite in the middle. Remove the pan from the heat, season and add the remaining butter and Parmesan. Cover and leave for 2 minutes. Give the risotto a final stir and spoon into warmed bowls. Scatter with the parsley and serve with extra Parmesan.
Top Tip for making Chicken Risotto
Leeks make a nice addition to chicken risotto. Finely slice 2 large leeks and cook until soft with the onion.
