Lemon & Pea Risotto with Chicken

Risotto complicated? Absolutely not!

A lot of people think it is difficult or complicated to make risotto, but actually it is really simple – all you need is a good recipe, like this yummy one from Heleen Meyer.

Restaurant quality in the comfort of your own home!

Risotto is a popular Italian rice dish that can be served as a starter, main course or side dish. Arborio rice is the recommended type of rice for risotto and is a short-grain rice that gives this dish its typical creamy, soft texture. The first step is to sauté the raw rice with onions or leeks and sometimes a bit of garlic. Frying the rice adds a lovely toasted, nuttiness to the dish. Then stock is gradually stirred into the rice to allow it to slowly cook and absorb the liquid. The arborio rice should not be cooked until it is completely soft, as it still needs a bit of chewiness in the rice grains – like the Italians will say: it has to be ‘al dente’, like pasta.

Risotto is often associated with the colder winter months and can be seasoned with a wide range of ingredients. Without a protein added to the rice, small portions of risotto are often enjoyed as a starter or as a side dish. A variety of proteins can be added to the rice, from tender lamb or beef, to seafood, like prawns, chicken or pork fillets, slices of Italian sausages or even cooked bacon. In this recipe, Heleen Meyer combines lemon, thyme and peas as the seasonings, which is absolutely delicious for the slightly warmer months of the year. This simple combination is divine and can be enjoyed as a main meal or as a side dish without the chicken.

Lemon & pea risotto with chicken

Recipe by Heleen Meyer

Serves 6

15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil

2 leeks, halved and sliced

1 large clove of garlic, crushed

500 ml (2 cups) uncooked arborio rice

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine or water

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice

1,5 litre (6 cups) weak vegetable or chicken stock

250 ml (1 cup) frozen or fresh peas, rinsed

2 handfuls baby spinach

60 ml (¼ cup) finely grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves

45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil

lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

6 pan-fried chicken breast fillets, sliced

extra pecorino or parmesan cheese, olive oil and lemon wedges to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté leeks and garlic until soft. Stir in the rice and sauté for a few more minutes.
2. Add the wine or water all at once and continue stirring until everything has been absorbed. This step helps to ‘crack’ open the rice grains, to better absorb the liquid.
3. Stir the lemon rind and juice into the stock and keep warm in a separate saucepan over a low heat.
4. Ladle warm stock over the rice, one or two spoonfuls at a time. Gently stir until everything is absorbed, before adding more stock.
5. Take care not to overmix the risotto, as the rice grains can easily become too soft and stodgy. Repeat the process with the remaining stock or until the rice is just cooked (‘al dente’) – this should take 25-30 minutes.
6. Gently stir in the peas, spinach, cheese, thyme and oil. Season to taste and serve with the chicken breast fillets, extra cheese, a dash of oil, pepper and lemon wedges.

Tips:

1. Replace the chicken with any of the suggested proteins above, like seafood, pan-fried pork fillets, fish or crispy bacon for a main meal.
2. Small broccoli florets can also be added towards the end of the cooking time for some extra colour, fibre and wholesome goodness.

For more recipes like this visit Heleen’s website.

Image by Adel Ferreira, for LiG Tydskrif
Reprinted from the South African Association of Retired Persons.