Chicken Risotto with Crispy Sage and Prosciutto
Creamy, buttery, and loaded with chicken, sage and salty prosciutto, this delicious risotto is simple and quick to make, packs a huge flavour punch and will convince your guests you are a genius in the kitchen!
Ingredients
- 40g unsalted butter
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 12 whole fresh sage leaves
- 125g/2 banana shallots, peeled or 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 12 whole fresh sage leaves, shredded
- 300g Arborio rice
- ¼ teaspoon salt (plus a further ⅛ - ¼ if desired.)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 250ml/1 cup dry white wine
- 1 - 1.2 litres good quality vegetable, fish or chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf or a sprig or two of fresh thyme or rosemary
- 200g cooked roast chicken, chopped in small pieces
- 60g Parmesan cheese, finely grated (or serve on the side)
- 60 - 90ml/4 - 6 tablespoons double cream
- 20g unsalted butter
- 6 slices of prosciutto, halved
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas 6
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Melt the butter and olive oil in a medium sized casserole over a medium heat and add the sage leaves.
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Cook until crispy on both sides turning half way through cooking.
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Remove from the pan onto some kitchen paper to absorb the oil
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Put the shallots/onion in a mini food processor and pulse until all are finely chopped. Alternatively you can finely chop them by hand.
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Add the shallots/onion to the pan and cook for around 5 minutes until the onion is soft and slightly caramelised.
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Add the crushed garlic and shredded sage leaves and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
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Add the rice and seasoning, stir well to coat all the grains in the butter/oil and then add the wine. Cook, stirring, until most of the wine has reduced.
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Add 1 litre of stock and the bay leaf or thyme/rosemary and bring to a simmer over a moderate heat, stirring continuously and enthusiastically.
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Cook the risotto, covered, in the oven for 10 minutes.
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After 10 minutes, take it out of the oven, add the chicken, butter, Parmesan (if adding now) and cream and mix well. Check the stock and the seasoning, adding more stock, salt and pepper if necessary.
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Scrunch the prosciutto and place ad hoc over the top of the risotto.
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Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 5 - 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked to your liking and the prosciutto is crispy.
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Cover and leave to sit for 2 - 3 minutes before serving. The risotto will continue to cook and thicken during this time; if you need to add any further stock to adjust the risotto, make sure it is hot when added.
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Top the risotto with the crispy sage leaves.
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To serve: serve with your choice of accompaniments and some grated parmesan cheese on the side.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- Medium oven proof cast iron casserole/Dutch oven
- Chopping board and knife
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons and measuring jug
- Mini food processor, if using
- Grater, if necessary
To serve:
- Crisp green salad
- Green vegetables such as roast/steamed broccoli or asparagus
- Extra parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs
- Garlic bread
Stock – the amount you use will depend on:
- The type of rice you use
- The stock
- The other ingredients in the risotto
- The real temperature of the oven
- Your personal preference: i.e. how thick you like your risotto to be. There is no right and wrong answer!
Parmesan cheese is quite salty so it is possible that you will not need to add any extra salt. If you prefer your risotto without cheese, you will definitely need to add extra salt.