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Chicken and mushroom risotto

Chicken and mushroom risotto

High in protein
No added sugar
Seafood free
Shellfish free
Wheat free
Soy free
Sesame free
Peanut free
Nut free
Gluten free
Egg free

For the ultimate comfort food, you can’t go past an Italian classic like this chicken and mushroom risotto. It’s hearty, creamy and full of flavour the whole family will love.

Serves4
Cook time35 minutes
Prep time10 minutes

Be waste wise while adding more colour and flavour to your meal by using parmesan rind and onion skin in this recipe for chicken and mushroom risotto. Start by placing the stock in a medium saucepan with the parmesan rind and onion skin. Then bring to a simmer over high heat. While the stock is simmering, heat some of the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium high heat. Cook half the chicken, turning, for two minutes or until browned and just cooked through. Then transfer to a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken. Next, add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook for two minutes or until golden. Add the mushrooms to the bowl with the chicken and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion skin and parmesan rind from the stock mixture and then discard. Heat a little more oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for five minutes until the onion softens. Add the rice and stir for two minutes or until the grains appear glassy. Next, add the wine or extra stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for two minutes. Add a ladle of hot stock, stirring until the liquid is completely absorbed. Repeat with the remaining stock, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to absorb before adding more stock. Continue cooking until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy. This should take about 20 minutes or so. Then add the chicken, mushrooms and add the rocket to the risotto. Stir until the chicken is heated through and the rocket wilts. Remove from the heat and stir in half the grated parmesan. To serve, divide the risotto among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Try these clever waste-wise hacks to take your recipes to the next level.

Ingredients

4 cups (1L) chicken stock
Parmesan rind (optional)
1 brown onion, peeled reserving skin, finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
2 Coles RSPCA Approved Australian Chicken Breast Fillets, thinly sliced
200g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups (300g) arborio rice
1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
60g pkt Coles Australian Baby Rocket
1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan

Nutritional information

Per serve: Energy: 2021kJ/483 Cals (23%), Protein: 28g (56%), Fat: 10g (14%), Sat fat: 3g (13%), Carb: 62g (20%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Fibre: 4g (13%), Sodium: 1100mg (55%).

Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.

Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.

Method

Step 1
Place stock in a medium saucepan. Add the parmesan rind, if using, and reserved onion skin. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Heat half the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, turning, for 2 mins or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken. Add the mushroom to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until golden. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken. Loosely cover to keep warm.
Step 2
Use a slotted spoon to remove the onion skin and parmesan rind from the stock mixture and discard.
Step 3
Heat remaining oil in the pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion softens. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until the grains appear glassy. Add wine or extra stock and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 mins or until liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup (125ml) hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is completely absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and risotto is creamy (this should take about 20 mins).
Step 4
Add chicken, mushroom and rocket to the risotto mixture and stir until the chicken is cooked through and rocket just wilts. Remove from heat. Stir in half the grated parmesan. Divide among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan to serve.

Recipe tip

COOK. STORE. SAVE:
Use it up: When you get to the end of a wedge of hard cheese like parmesan, cover the rind in plastic wrap and freeze it. Use it to add flavour to soups and risottos like this one.

Smart swap: You can use chicken stock instead of white wine for an alcohol-free alternative.

Risotto: an Italian comfort dish the world fell in love with

This hearty, warming rice dish that’s full of flavour has become a staple in many households around the world. Originating in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, risotto was made with boiled rice as the main ingredient until the 18th century. By the time the 1800s rolled around, the version of risotto we’ve come to love today was invented. Since then, many Italians have declared it to be the most important dish, some even rating it higher than pizza or pasta!

Made using a base of arborio rice and butter, you can then add other ingredients to create variations of risotto. One of the winning dishes from this collection of risotto dishes is our easy chicken and mushroom risotto recipe – perfect for cosy dinners or entertaining guests.

How to achieve the perfect risotto texture?

While you can use any rice to create risotto, we recommend the traditional ingredient, arborio rice. This short grain rice is starchy, resulting in the famous creamy texture this famous Italian recipe is known for.

Chefs and risotto aficionados have long recommended adding stock to the rice, one ladleful at a time, and allowing it to be completely absorbed by the rice before adding more stock. This allows the liquid to be absorbed more evenly, as well as allowing the rice to expand to the desired texture. This should take no more than 20 minutes.

Stirring the rice frequently brings out the starch in the rice, which results in a luscious creamy texture. You don’t need to over-stir, though, as this may result in mushy rice (and tired arms!). Finally, it’s important not to let the risotto rest for too long after it’s cooked, otherwise, starches will begin to set and the creaminess of the dish will be lost. As a result, it’s best to serve this simple chicken and mushroom risotto immediately.

The best way to serve creamy chicken and mushroom risotto

Like other hearty Italian dishes, risotto is delicious served with greens to cut through the richness of the dish. And for this mushroom and chicken risotto, a fresh crisp green salad like a pear, rocket and parmesan salad will work a treat, as will an easy spinach salad. Come the cooler months, simple sides like roasted, grilled or steamed vegetables are perfect pairs for this risotto. Try a chargrilled baby broccoli salad or a speedy recipe for air-fryer asparagus, or, in keeping with the Italian flavours, whip a BBQ asparagus caprese salad.

FAQs

If your risotto has hit a sticky, dry stage, an easy fix is to simply stir through a little more stock – one spoonful at a time. This will help you to bring it back to the desired texture. On the flip side, if it’s too soupy, you may have added too much stock too quickly. Ensure you only stir in one ladleful of hot stock at a time to allow the rice to absorb the liquid fully before adding another.