Fennel Risotto with Chicken and Saffron Sauce./ Photo by the author
Rice is undoubtedly the most consumed staple food of the world. Rice is the seed of a grass and requires plenty of water during its irrigation. Rice varieties are numerous and it is practically impossible for even chefs to be aware of many varieties and their detailed aspects. Some of the most popular rice varieties are basmati, risotto, sona, organic brown, wild rice, and black rice.
The culinary requirements, the demographic conditions, the financial status of consumers, the traditions all have their impact on the variety of rice being used in particular cuisine or region or a category of the population.
Out of my few favourite varieties of rice, Arborio rice forms the base of an Italian dish called risotto. Arborio rice has the property to absorb moisture in its short round grain and release starch, thus resulting in a sticky, creamy dish. This rice variety tends to look smaller than the other common rice varieties and the white grain is round and hard to crack. There are some other varieties of rice used to make risotto like Carnaroli, Vialone Nano, Padano, Baldo, Roma but the choice depends on the user and his personal preference towards a particular variety.
Risotto is the common word used to denote the Italian rice dishes simmered in stock or liquid. During my hotel management college days, I heard about risotto rice but never encountered it personally. It was however during my industrial training at Taj Hotels that I came across the authentic Italian staple and got my hands on the classic risotto dish.
The risotto involves a technique that is the opposite of the general rice cooking technique. You need to slowly pour in the stock to the simmering risotto instead of adding all the moisture/stock at once, this will result in extracting the starch out of the rice making the dish sticky (the way it should be).
You can adjust the consistency of risotto to be like a thick soup or porridge. It can be as simple and humble by combining butter, garlic, rice, stock and parmesan cheese in the end, all stirred up together or it can be as luxurious as tossing in some of the most exotic ingredients like scallops, shrimps, asparagus, calamari or prime meats, to name a few.
I am sure that once you get your hands on with this dish you won’t stop preparing it again and again with your choice of ingredients. With winters just round the corner I share this exotic yet simple recipe for you all to be enjoyed with friends and family.
Fennel Risotto with Chicken and Saffron Sauce
Ingredients
Serves 2
Chicken breast 2 no
Arborio rice 11/2 cups
Fennel root ½ bulb
Chicken stock 1.5 lit
Celery 1 stalk
Butter 3 tbsp
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tbsp
Parsley Few sprigs
Salt To taste
Crushed pepper To taste
Olives 6-7 no
Cream 3 tbsp
Oregano herb Few sprig
Saffron Sauce
Shallots, chopped 3 tbsp
Bay leaf 1 no
Cooking cream 4 tbsp
Saffron Few strands
Apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp
Water 2 cup
Butter unsalted ½ cup
White pepper powder To taste
Salt To taste
Method
Marinate the chicken breast with salt pepper olive oil and oregano and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.
Heat oil and butter in a sauce pan and sauté chopped celery and Arborio rice.
Cook for 2 minutes but don’t let the rice brown, add chicken stock just to cover the rice and lower the flame.
Once the stock evaporates add more and repeat until the rice is just cooked and sticky.
Adjust the seasoning and add grated parmesan cheese and finish with cream.
Grill the chicken breast over hot plate, turn to cook evenly from both sides.
Prepare saffron beurre blanc by combining, chopped shallots, bay leaf, vinegar, saffron, water and reduce to half.
Blend the sauce to get smooth consistency and add cream and bring to boil.
Add diced cold butter and whisk to thicken the sauce, adjust the consistency and serve warm with chicken and risotto.
Cooking tip: an ideal risotto dish should be sticky, creamy and cheesy. The rice should be cooked “al dente” which means just cooked with firm centre. Also it is important to add little stock at a time to extract the starch and let it evaporate so that the risotto gets its right sticky texture and is cooked to right texture.
