Monday, March 1, 2010

Chicken Cacciatore Risotto



Anytime the word 'risotto' is mentioned, I wax poetic about how much I love it, how great it is, etc etc.  Well I realized a few weeks ago, that I was certainly talking the talk, but I hadn't posted a new risotto recipe since October!!  So I added risotto to the menu for the week, and starting thinking.  I really enjoyed the Marsala Risotto, so I thought it would be fun to deconstruct another popular dish into a risotto.  I did a little research, and chicken cacciatore recipes are all different.  Some use red wine, some use white, different veggies are used in each, etc.  So I just kind of came up with my own based on what I had on hand.

I think it turned out great!  I have really been enjoying chicken thighs lately, and the red wine gave the risotto a nice deep flavor.  We served this with a side salad and some ciabatta bread, and we were both happy campers.




Chicken Cacciatore Risotto
serves 3-4 as a main dish
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 3/4 cup red wine
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • fresh parsley, minced
Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence.   Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.

Add 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the skillet.  When melted, add the shallot, and cook until softened, 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock and diced tomatoes to a simmer.  Cover and allow to simmer continuously.

Add the rice to the skillet, and cook, stirring continuously, until the edges are translucent.  Decrease the heat to medium-low.  Add the red wine, and stir continuously, until it is mostly absorbed.

Working 1-2 ladles at a time, add the chicken broth/tomato mixture to the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.  After about 12 minutes, add the peppers and mushrooms to the rice mixture.

Continue adding liquid until the rice is cooked to al dente, about 20 minutes total.  Taste to check doneness.  When cooked to al dente, add 1 more ladle of chicken broth, and remove from heat.  Stir in the remaining Tablespoon of butter, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley.

Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces, and add to the risotto.  Divide evenly among serving plates, and top with more cheese and parsley.  Serve immediately.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

mm this sounds and looks delicious. I am adding it to this weeks menu!

Rebecca said...

i love anything with shallots!! looks like a delicious meal!

Anonymous said...

Not a huge fan of rissotto, but this looks SOOOO good! I've definitely starred! YUM!

Lauren said...

This risotto looks phenomenal! I have yet to make risotto with red wine, and this just might be my first foray :).

Erin said...

Wow- this looks great! I love chicken cacciatore, and I know a risotto version must be delicious!

elly said...

This looks so delicious. I love cacciatore and risotto so this will definitely be a hit. Can't wait to try it!

Cara said...

What a delicious sounding risotto! I've been craing cacciatore lately.

Shannon said...

I think I'm going to make this for our Sunday night dinner this week! Question for you - did you use a 15oz can of tomatoes or 28oz?

Josie said...

Shannon - I used the 15 ounce can. Thanks for asking, I'll update the post!

Tracy said...

This looks so delicious - I've never thought to use red wine in risotto but why not?!

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