With a twist of lemon

A friend of mine, had an audition to be on MasterChef at the end of last year.  Whilst she didn't make it through, she came back with a whole lot of stories and insights into the production and timing that goes into each show.  We now know one of the main reasons why risotto is the death dish - it has to sit for hours, getting gluggier and gluggier, before anyone tastes it, and then when they taste it it's cold!  Which leads me to the recipe below - Chicken and Mushroom Risotto.

There are two main points of contention, I think, in making risotto.  Firstly, do you add 1 - 2 ladles of warm/hot stock in and wait for it to be absorbed before adding the next, or do you add all the warm/hot stock at the beginning and let it do it's thing, or does the stock even need to be warm/hot?  Secondly, when adding vegetables to the risotto do you cook or part-cook them first then add, or do you add them raw?

On the first point, I think definitely warm stock, it helps to keep the risotto at an even temperature.  And as for when you add the stock, that depends on how many other things you have on the go at the time.  If you've got no distractions, then add it bit by bit, then you can control the 'glugginess' more easily.  If you have distractions, then add most of it and hold some back, so you can add it towards the end if the rice isn't 'al dente' yet, or the risotto is a little dry.  I've done it both ways, and ended up with the same result.

On the second point, again I've done it both ways.  It depends on what you're adding and how you want the final product to end up.  If I'm making a pumpkin risotto, I'll cut the pumpkin into 1cm cubes and add them when I add the stock.  This way as they cook they break down and become a part of the risotto.  However, with mushrooms I cook them separately and add them at the end.  Otherwise you end up with a grey risotto, which is not visually appealing to anyone, unless you're in a black and white movie.

Mushroom Risotto is a stand-by favourite of mine.  The version below also adds some chicken and the juice of a lemon, at the end, for a bit of freshness.  You'll notice this recipe doesn't have the usual 1/2 cup wine to be added to the rice and cooked off, before adding the stock.  It's not there this month, as I am participating in FebFast (no alcohol for a month).  Feel free to add it in if you prefer.

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto (Serves 4)

2 cups vegetable stock
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 - 5 stalks fresh thyme, picked
Olive oil
1 cup arborio rice

2 - 3 chicken thighs, roughly chopped
100 - 200g mushrooms, sliced
1 - 2 tablespoons butter (20-40g?)
1 handful of finely grated parmesan (50-100g, depending on your hand, and to your taste)
1 lemon

1. In a saucepan, heat vegetable stock.  Leave it on a medium-low heat.
2. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, onion, garlic and most of the thyme (save some to garnish).  Cook this gently for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.  It doesn't have to be fully cooked.
3. Add the rice.  Stir with a wooden spoon to coat the rice with the oil, onion etc.  Keep stirring, so it doesn't stick and allow to cook for 2 - 3 minutes.  (After this, if you're adding 1/2 cup dry white wine, pour it in, stir, and wait till the wine is absorbed before going on to step 3.)
4. Add 1 - 2 ladles of warm stock to rice.  Stir and allow to cook.  Keep adding another 1 - 2 ladles of stock to the rice as it cooks.  It will take 15 - 20 minutes to cook, depending on the rice and the temperature of the stock.  You'll know it's done when the rice is al dente. (Remember, you can add all the stock at once if you like.  Keep a little back, in case you need to adjust at the end.  And keep having a stir every few minutes or so.
5. Whilst this is happening, in a frypan, add some olive oil and brown the chicken.  Once the chicken is almost cooked, add in the sliced mushrooms and allow them to soften.  If the pan is looking a little dry, add a bit of the stock to it.
6. When the rice is almost cooked, add the chicken and mushroom mix to it.  Stir to combine. 
7. Remove rice from heat, and add butter and grated parmesan.  Stir until butter is melted.  Taste and season with salt (if necessary) and pepper.
8. Add juice of half a lemon, stir to combine.  Taste.  Add other half if necessary, or cut remaining half of lemon into wedges and add to bowls to serve.
9. Serve risotto in warm bowls, with shaved parmesan and fresh thyme.