Risotto with Chicken and Herbs

Risotto with Chicken and Herbs

What you'll need

  • 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 unit 12-ounce bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 unit large onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Serves: 6

  1. Bring broth and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain gentle simmer. 
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook second side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to saucepan of simmering broth and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to large plate. 
  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. 
  4. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups hot broth mixture into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking. (Helpful: set one timer to the full length of 16 minutes and another to, say, 7 minutes -- the time at which to first stir. Reset this second time after the first stir.)
  5. Add 3/4 cup hot broth mixture to risotto and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, remove and discard skin and bones from chicken and shred meat into bite-size pieces. Gently stir shredded chicken, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parsley, chives, and lemon juice into risotto. To loosen texture of risotto, add remaining broth mixture to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.

Submitted by: Joel

Thanks to: America's Test Kitchen