Chicken, Mushroom & Thyme Baked Risotto
with Pear Salad
For a rich, creamy and delicious risotto without standing over the stove stirring, use your oven! This baked version features mushrooms and chicken thigh for lots of flavour, and has a fresh and easy salad on the side to lighten up the whole meal. Dinner will never be the same again!
Always read product labels for the most up-to-date allergen information. Visit hellofresh.co.nz/foodinfo for allergen and ingredient information. If you have received a substitute ingredient, please be aware allergens may have changed
Ingredients
1 unit
onion
2 clove
garlic
1 bunch
thyme
1 packet
chicken thigh
1 punnet
button mushrooms
1 packet
arborio rice
1 sachet
Chicken-Style Stock Powder
1 unit
pear
1 bag
salad leaves
1 packet
Grated Parmesan Cheese
(Contains Milk; )
Not included in your delivery
olive oil
40 g
butter
(Contains Milk; )
2 cup
water
1 tsp
balsamic vinegar
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Finely chop the brown onion. Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). Pick the thyme leaves. Thinly slice the button mushrooms. Cut the chicken thigh into 2cm chunks.
TIP: Hold each thyme sprig at the top, then gently run your fingers down to remove the leaves. If the sprigs are very soft, you can just chop them instead.
In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
TIP: The chicken will finish cooking in step 4!
Return the pan to a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and 1/2 the butter. When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until browned, 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and thyme and cook until softened and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.
Add the arborio rice, the water and chicken stock to the pan with the mushrooms. Return the chicken to the pan (along with any chicken resting juices). Bring to the boil, then transfer the risotto to a medium baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is ‘al dente’, 24-28 minutes. Halfway through cooking, stir through a splash of water.
TIP: 'Al dente’ means the rice is cooked through but has a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle.
While the risotto is cooking, thinly slice the pear. In a medium bowl, combine the pear and rocket leaves. Just before serving, add the balsamic vinegar and olive oil (1 1/2 tsp for 2 people / 1 tbs for 4 people) and toss to coat. When the risotto is done, stir through the grated Parmesan cheese and the remaining butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
TIP: Beating in Parmesan and butter is an Italian technique called 'mantecatura', and it helps give the risotto an extra-creamy texture.
Divide the chicken, mushroom and thyme risotto between bowls. Serve with the pear salad.
