Risotto would have to be one of my favourite meals. I love mushrooms and I don’t think you can go past a good mushroom risotto. It’s often the thing I’m most drawn to on Italian menus.
However, when I don’t have mushrooms, I like to play around with my ingredients a bit. This time around I made a very easy and quick pumpkin, corn and chicken risotto. I realise now that this made for a very yellow photo! I hope you like the recipe anyway.
A lot of people have this perception that risotto is hard or very time consuming. I think this is a bit of a fallacy – it’s not difficult at all, but it is a bit time consuming and you do need to hover around the stove gradually stirring in the stock until it is absorbed. I am a fan of this method of cooking risotto, but it’s just not practical in summer. So this is my fallback recipe when I want the comfort of risotto, without having to sweat over the hot stove!
Be warned, this doesn’t produce a risotto with the same texture as if you used the traditional method. But I still love it. I found the chicken added a nice textural difference, and the corn and pumpkin added a gentle sweetness. This recipe is cooked without butter, so it is actually quite healthy. However, if you’re feeling decadent feel free to stir in a spoon of butter once the risotto has finished cooking.
Easy chicken, corn risotto
By: Leah
This is a variation of a Women's Weekly recipe I rely on when I want risotto without having to stand over a hot stove (very important in a Queensland summer!). This time around I added corn, chicken, spinach and pumpkin. You can use any herb you like, this time I used sage, but basil also works really well. The texture won't be exactly the same as a proper risotto, but I still really love it. Also, this makes a fairly thick risotto - if you like yours more runny add some more liquid.
- Prep Time:
15 min - Cook Time:
25 min - Ready In:
40 min
- 3 cups Vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup Dry white wine
- 1 tbsp Finely grated lemon rind
- 1 medium Brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped or crushed
- 1 Chicken breast
- 200 gs Pumpkin
- 1 medium Ear of corn, kernels removed
- 1 1/2 cups Aborio rice
- 2 tbsps Lemon juice
- 1 cup Water
- 100 gs Baby spinach leaves, torn
- 1/2 cup Finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsps Sage, finely shredded
- First, I browned the chicken separately. I find this enhances the flavour. I set it aside until later.
- Heat 1 tbs of stock with wine and lemon rind in a large saucepan.
- Add the onion and garlice and cook, stirring, on a medium heat until the onion softens. You don't want the temperature too high here as it will burn the onion and garlic - the idea is gentle cooking.
- Add the chicken, mushrooms, capsicum, corn (or anything else you feel will be tasty) and cook stirring for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, juice, water and remaining stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
- Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until rice is cooked.
- Before serving, stir in spinach, cheese and sage.
- Serve with salad and crusty bread if you so desire.
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