Pacific Rim Risotto

Pacific Rim Risotto

by Amy Coleman from the Best of Home Cooking with Amy Coleman

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, quartered
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound total), each breast cut into 4 diagonal pieces
1 cup uncooked arborio rice
2 cups quartered white mushrooms, such as crimini
2 to 3 cups unsalted chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine or sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon hot chile sauce
1/2 pound smoked linguiça (Portuguese) sausage (or other hot, smoked sausage), cut into I 1/2-inch diagonal pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1 cup unpacked cilantro leaves, for garnish

Chunky bites of chicken and sausage combined with the creamy risotto make this a wonderful side when served with a simple green salad.

In a food processor, finely chop garlic, onion, and ginger. Set aside.

In a large, deep, heavy-bottomed skillet with a cover, heat olive oil. Add chicken breast pieces and cook over medium-high heat, until lightly golden and plump, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion mixture to skillet and sautè until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add rice to pan and continue to sautè for 1 minute longer. Add mushrooms, 2 cups of the broth, wine or sherry, sesame oil, and chile sauce. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (add more broth if mixture appears dry at this point).

Gently place sausage pieces and chicken on top of rice mixture (do not mix in). Cover and continue to cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes.

Fold in the cheese and place on a serving platter or in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with cashews and cilantro. Serve immediately.

This and many other wonderful recipes may be found in
Amy Coleman's the Best of Home Cooking with Amy Coleman from Chronicle Books