Sunday, December 1, 2013

Baked Chicken, Lemon, and Pea Risotto


There is something about making risotto that is so satisfying.  Standing over the stove toasting the rice, adding the broth little by little, and then stirring the rice until you achieve the desired consistency.  I love when I get to this point because the sky is the limit as far as adding ingredients.  Sometimes I'll stir in leftover bits of cheese, veggies and/or meat and seafood just to clean out the fridge. Other times I have a game plan and will plan out all my add-in's. 

From time to time I've seen recipes for baked risotto and I've always been curious so I decided to give it a try.  I wondered about the texture of the rice. Will it be creamy if there is no stirring involved? I wondered about convenience? Will it be easier to bake risotto?  I wondered if it would be as satisfying. Would I miss stirring the risotto? 

My curiosity got the best of me so I gave it a try.  I must say the baked risotto was definitely good, but nowhere as good as making risotto the traditional way.  We all loved the flavors in this dish but would have preferred the traditional method much more. The baked risotto was definitely missing that wonderful creamy texture that you get from all the stirring.  Additionally the rice was a little firmer, definitely al dente, if you will.  Baking the risotto was also less convenient.  Traditional risotto uses one pan.  Baking the risotto requires dirtying up two pans and a baking dish.  Not to mention, you have to heat up your stovetop and your oven. Baking the risotto also takes much longer.  In fact, it nearly doubles the cooking time. Finally and most importantly, I really did miss stirring the risotto. 

Final verdict: I'm glad I tried the baked risotto, but I see no reason at all to ever do it again.  From now on I will continue to make my risotto the traditional way and will happily stand by the stove and stir, and stir, and stir.


Baked Chicken, Lemon, & Pea Risotto
Adapted from Simple Essentials Chicken
by Donna Hay
Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil
7 ounces chicken breast, cubed
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
5 cups chicken stock
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat.  Add the oil and chicken and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until well browned.  Set aside.  Add the shallots, lemon zest, and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the shallots are softened.  Place the shallot mixture, rice, and stock in a baking dish.  Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Add the chicken and peas to the risotto, cover tightly and bake for a further 20 minutes.  The risotto will still be quite liquid.  Stir the lemon juice, parmesan, and salt and pepper through the risotto.  Stir for 2 minutes to thicken the risotto and serve immediately.  Note: I added a little more parmesan cheese on top and baked the risotto for another 4-5 minutes to reduce the liquid a little more.  Then I broiled the risotto for about 2-3 minutes for a golden brown crust.


Theme: Easy Entertaining!

15 comments:

  1. Completely agree--I love the stirring, stirring, stirring...and the creamier texture. Great idea to add Parm and broil for browning on top. Love that! I can't resist lemony risotto and will try this (but on the stovetop!). Beautiful pictures as always, Kim.

    Hope you and your family had a ncie Thanksgiving. I can't believe it's come and gone already.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree, Kim, that nothing beats a hand-stirred risotto. I do confess, though, that I make it in the microwave when I need a quick side dish and it's very good. Better, in my opinion, than the baked. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it is the effort in stirring that creates a real participation in the dish and when it comes out good, it is really satisfying.
    I would be up for a baked risotto. This looks quite tasty.

    Velva

    ReplyDelete
  4. Definitely good to know that the baked risotto isn't really worth it. I always contemplate whether to try it and now I'll know just to go the traditional route!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Kim,
    I have never tried cooking risotto before, it is something that I have always wanted to try!
    This baked version looks really delicious, a perfect dish for entertaining!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I keeping thinking I'll try baked risotto but after reading the posts of everyone who has, I think I'll keep with the stirring too. ;-) I do like the lighter feel this one has with the lemon and peas.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The dish has all sorts of ingredients that my family enjoys - chicken, lemon etc and sounds really delicious. Despite what everyone has said regarding the baked risotto, I'd still like to give that technique a try.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for this baked revue. I totally agree with the stirring and that creamy end result. I really like this combination of chicken/lemon/peas in this recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kim, love the combination of ingredients in this risotto - chicken, lemon and peas - what's not to love. But I think I'm definitely in the "stirring camp" - whenever I think I might have a go at baking risotto, I just think about the satisfaction I would miss out if I didn't stand and stir it. Got to admit though, from an entertaining stand-point baking it makes a lot of sense - you can spend time with your guests while the risotto cooks instead of standing over the stove top, also I guess in terms of convenience you can be doing other things while the risotto cooks itself.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like the stirring...it's therapeutic. Or maybe I am insane wanting to stand at the stove all that time but...for me it's peaceful. I like the looks of your risotto and wouldn't turn down a big bowl of it!

    Hope you are well and the snow hasn't reached your doorstep.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Good to know the baking technique wasn't your fav but dang, that looks tasty! I may make it on the stovetop and just adjust as I go. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love stirring risotto too. It's my meditation.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love making risotto. And I would l miss the process but the baked is good, too.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My curiosity is satisfied, I won't bother making oven risotto either. I was thinking at the beginning there was no way it would have that risotto texture. I glad you tried it and took one for the team:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ok. So I tried this flavor was outstanding, but I think I did the risotto wrong. It was a bit gummy... Any suggestions? I assume I over cooked it...I'm using electric stove, but was used to gas. Kind of a hard transition..... In any case I was happy with the flavor but the texture just through me off. everyone was complimentary though.... :(

    Steve Funk
    Cardinham | Killigrew
    Cardinham | Killigrew

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment! At the moment I am having a huge problem with spam so I've had to add comment moderation and close off comments to anonymous users. I apologize for the trouble and hope to return my comments to normal shortly.