Chicken and Leek Risotto
This risotto with chicken and lees is a creamy and delicious one pan meal which everyone would love.
Servings 8
Calories 397kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups chopped leeks (2 whole leeks)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 4 oz goat cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- sea salt + black pepper for taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove and shred.
- Heat remaining olive oil and butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Toss in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add rice and stir to coat, cooking for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and simmer over low heat until almost all of the wine has been absorbed. Add simmering chicken stock 1 cup at a time, stirring the rice constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more.
- Once the rice is tender (should be between 20-25 minutes), add the lemon juice and lemon zest. After everything is mixed, add the goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped thyme and shredded chicken. Taste and if needed add salt and pepper. Serve with some thyme and Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- Toast/cook the rice in butter/oil so it absorbs the stock slowly without becoming soggy.
- Use quality dry white wine to deglaze the pan. You want a wine you'd be willing to drink as it adds flavor and acidity to the risotto.
- Use hot stock so when you add to the rice it won't cool everything down and mess up the cooking process.
- Slowly add the stock and wait until it is absorbed before adding more which allows the rice to create that creamy starch you expect from risotto.
- Stir the risotto often enough, but don’t stir so much your arm gets tired. It should be just enough to keep the risotto from burning.
- Keep at a medium simmer throughout cooking, otherwise your risotto with take forever.
- Cook until al dente. Risotto should have some body and bite to it and not be too mushy or starchy.
- Wait until rice is finished cooking before stirring in the rest of the ingredients.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g