Chicken Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Prepare the vegetable broth. Roughly chop the carrot, celery and onion. In a small saucepan, place the chopped carrot, celery, onion, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and bay leaf. Cover with two cups of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Keep warm.

Prepare the dried mushrooms. In a heatproof bowl, place the dried mushrooms and add two cups of boiling water. Allow the mushrooms to soak for at least 20 minutes.

Once the mushrooms have softened, remove the mushrooms from the water.

Strain the remaining mushroom water into your warm pot of vegetable broth.

Gently squeeze the mushrooms of their liquid and chop. Set aside. 

Prepare the aromatics. Finely dice the shallot and mince the garlic. Set aside.

Remove the stems from the fresh mushrooms and wipe them clean with a dry towel. Slice into ⅛-inch slabs. Set aside.

Cook the chicken mushroom risotto. In a pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium and add the diced shallot. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent and golden.

Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.

Add the chopped rehydrated mushrooms, fresh mushrooms and shredded chicken. Stir well. Let the mixture caramelize for 2-3 minutes. Refrain from adding salt.

Add the arborio rice, grated nutmeg and dried thyme to the pot and mix generously.

When the rice grains become translucent around the edges and you can see the seed inside, add the white wine and a dash of salt. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 1-2 minutes.

Next, begin to ladle in the hot broth. (See notes 2.)

After each spoonful of broth, mix generously until the liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add the next ladle of broth. Repeat the steps until the rice is tender. This process will take 17-20  minutes. Be sure to continuously stir, as banging the grains of rice together with your spoon is what gives your risotto its creamy texture. (See notes 3.)

Once the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed, add the butter and stir until melted.

Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest, if desired. Cook 2-3 minutes. Season with salt to taste, if needed.

Garnish with more Parmesan and even a few chopped fresh herb leaves, if desired. Salude!