Chicken Marsala Risotto

Chicken Marsala Risotto

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup Marsala wine
4 cups chicken stock, heated
1 cup frozen green peas, defrosted

Method

Heat deep saucepan to medium high. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the pan and sauté until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic to the chicken fat in the pan. Sauté for a few minutes, until just soft. Add in salt, pepper, thyme, mushrooms, and butter. Sauté for a few minutes. Add arborio rice and saute for a few more minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add Marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until Marsala is nearly absorbed. Add in 1 cup chicken stock. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until stock is nearly absorbed, about 5 minutes. Keep adding stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring each time until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 4 minutes per 1/2 cup. After about 25 minutes, all the stock should be used and the rice should be tender (taste test a piece). If it isn't, add another 1/2 cup of water to the pan, stir until absorbed, and check again.

Stir in the peas and the reserved chicken and toss to heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the risotto rest for a minute or two, to thicken, before serving. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired.

NOTES

This is just my chicken thyme marsala cream thing reimagined as risotto. I hunted around for a moment to check if anyone had a proper recipe for this specific combination (wanted to check rice/stock ratios) and no one did. Chicken marsala risotto is probably sacrilege or something. Heh. No matter; I just came up with my own recipe.

As you might guess, it was really, really, REALLY good. Yeah. The very first bite got a "wow, oh man!" from Steve, so I'll take that as a ringing endorsement from his end as well.