I love this recipe. Surprisingly, regular rice works in this risotto, which would probably be a shock to purists, who always use arborio rice.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups uncooked regular long grain rice
- 4 to 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp. dried basil leaves, if desired
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Preparation:
Cut chicken breasts into 1-1/2" pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add chicken pieces, and cook and stir until chicken begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add rice, and stir to coat.
Add 1 cup chicken broth, and cook until liquid is reduced, stirring frequently. Continue to add chicken broth to keep rice covered, stirring frequently. Add broth, stir, and cook for a total of about 25 minutes until rice is tender. Add basil, cheese, and butter just before serving and stir to melt.
Cover pot and let stand 5 minutes off the heat.
You can use as little as 4 cups or as much as 6 cups broth in this recipe. I don't like a runny risotto, so I use the smaller amount. If you like your risotto soupier, you'll need more broth.
