Herbed Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Chicken

I've always been terrified of attempting risotto. I always hear about how you have to stir it constantly, and not only do I not have the time for that, but I don't think I have the patience either! Then one day I was on my favorite food blog, Annies Eats, and saw this recipe for a risotto that doesn't make you stand over a pot stirring forever! I put it on my menu immediately and the results were phenomenal.  I give major kudos to Annie for realizing that caramlized onions (her addition to the original recipe) would be wonderful in it. Thanks Annie!  I added a splash of sherry vinegar to the onions just as they were finishing and the taste of it transferred well into the final dish.

It makes about 6 main dish servings.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 T. olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

pinch of sugar

splash of sherry vinegar.

5 c. low sodium chicken broth

2 c. water

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

4 T. unsalted butter, divided

3/4 t. salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. Arborio rice

1 c. dry white wine

1 c. parmesan cheese

1 t. lemon juice

2 T. minced fresh parsley

2 T. minced fresh chives

black pepper

salt

How:

Heat 1 and 1/2 t. olive oil in a skillet over medium. Add the onion and sugar, stirring to coat. Allow the onion to cook until deep golden brown and caramelized. Add sherry vinegar and stir around for just a few seconds and then remove to a plate and set aside.

In a large saucepan combine the chicken broth and water and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the onion pan and heat on medium-high. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat in the skillet, turning once, until each side is light golden brown. Remove from the skillet and transfer to the saucepan with the simmering broth mixture. Cook until no longer pink and the thickest part registers 165 degrees. Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside, but keep the broth mixture hot.

Add 2 T. butter to a large pot (less than 8 quarts though)over medium. Once melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat. Keep stirring until the rice grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups of the hot broth mixture into the rice. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just al dente, 16-19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

Add 3/4 c. of the hot broth mixture to the risotto and stir gently and constantly until the risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand about 5 minutes.

While the rice is cooking during the 16-19 minute stretch, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Stir the chicken and onions into the risotto along with the remaining 2 T. butter, lemon juice, parsley and chives.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want, you can add up to 1/2 c. of the broth mixture to add moisture. Serve immediately

~Recipe from Annies Eats who got the original recipe from Cooks Illustrated.  Because of that, I now have a subscription to the magazine.

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