Chicken Soup Risotto (serves 4~5)

This is a simple little meal that can be used as a starter, main course or side dish.

Broth – (you can use store-bought broth)

1 Leftover Chicken (bones are the important thing here, any good meat should be stripped before boiling)

Water to cover chicken

1 Bay Leaf

Veg scraps or about 1 small onion, carrot, and stick of celery.

Risotto –

1 Large Carrot (about 1 cup chopped)

1 Stalk of Celery (about 2/3 cup chopped)

1 Medium Onion (about 1/2 cup chopped)

1/2 cup of Riesling Wine (sweet white)

1 Cup of Arborio Rice

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoon Butter

Salt to taste

Method:

1) Remove any good bits of chicken like the breast meat and reserve for final step. I break the carcass up a bit to fit nicely in a 2 quart pot and add water to cover (you need 3 cups of broth when done). Add Bay Leaf, veg scraps and salt to pot and bring to boil… once boiling turn down the heat a bit and let low-boil/simmer for a good hour stirring occasionally. When broth taste good and soupy it’s done. If you’re using store-bought or prepared broth just bring it to boil and skip to step 4.

2) While the soup is simmering away, work out the vegetables… if you want to be fancy pants you can call it mirepoix which is a french word for the holy trinity of celery/carrots/onion. I half the celery stalk, than chop it fairly finely. The carrot I quarter than chopped finely. For onions I use the standard criss-cross than slice method. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=aDjNl5gs4nM

3) Once your broth is cooked an hour or 2 be sure to taste and add salt if needed. Pour broth through sieve to make sure u have nothing but broth. You need 3 cups of broth… i find my 2 Qt pot provides just a bit more than 3 cups when done. The sieved broth goes back into a pot to simmer to keep hot while cooking risotto.

4) Add 2 Table spoons of Olive Oil to a good-sized fry pan that is over a med-high heat. Add vegetables all at one go, stir constantly to keep the from burning and cook a good 5 minutes or so till the onions go white. If you get distracted at all during the process (taking notes, futzing with cameras, phone calls, etc.) call any burnt bits caramelized for flavor and you’ll be fine.

5) Add rice to pan and heat with Veg for about 3-4 minutes, stirring as you go on medium heat. Add wine; since the wine is room temperature I push the rice to one side and pour the wine on the other side of the pan. Stir rice into wine till all the wine is absorbed.

6) Start adding the broth with a ladle and stirring till it is absorbed and then adding another ladle full (you want about 1/3 a cup per ladel full). This process should take about 20~30mins… after using all of the broth it’s up to the final step. Be sure and taste before declaring done… should be a bit al’dente but still soft and creamy.

7) Remove from heat, add butter and stir till the butter is melted and coating everything. You can also add any chicken you removed from the bones in step one if you want to ‘bulk’ out the risotto to serve as a main course.

Enjoy!