This recipe is featured in our November 2014 Food + Entertaining article, On the Go with Danielle Rollins.
Roasted Chicken with Risotto and Mushroom Fricassee
Course: Main8
servingsingredients
- FOR THE CHICKEN
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken breasts, skin on, preferably free-range
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 thyme sprigs
1 parsley sprig
1 clove garlic, crushed
Risotto (see recipe below)
Mushroom Fricassee (see recipe below)
- FOR THE RISOTTO
2 quarts chicken stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, minced
3 celery ribs, minced
3 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- FOR THE MUSHROOM FRICASSEE
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms, such as morel, shiitake or chanterelle
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups organic chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig parsley
Dash of Cognac
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet.
- Rinse and pat chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When oil starts to shimmer, add chicken, skin side down, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Sear until skin is brown and crisp. Flip chicken and place the pan in oven. Roast, basting chicken every 10 minutes with the juices, until the thickest part of meat registers 160°.
- When chicken is done, place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add butter, thyme, parsley and garlic. Baste again for about one minute. This will impart the flavor of the herbs to the chicken and make it extra juicy. Let chicken rest four minutes after basting.
- To serve, place a helping of risotto on each plate, a little off center. Lay a chicken breast on top of each helping of risotto, overlapping it slightly, then spoon mushroom fricassee on top of the chicken and serve immediately.
- RISOTTO
- Heat stock in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of butter and the oil in a large pan and sauté shallots and celery over medium heat until tender. Add rice and coat thoroughly with butter and oil. Stir frequently but allow the grains of rice to toast. After about two minutes, deglaze the pan with wine. Let wine reduce until evaporated, then start ladling in hot stock a few ladlefuls at a time. Allow rice to absorb each ladle of stock before adding more. Stir with a wooden spoon every minute or so and make sure that no rice sticks to bottom of pan. Repeat until all liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked but still al dente, about 14 minutes.
- Finish risotto by stirring in remaining butter, Parmesan and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- MUSHROOM FRICASSEE
- Remove stems and any dirt from mushrooms, using a damp cloth; cut into large pieces.
- Melt ¼ cup butter with flour in a medium-size saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes and making sure that the roux does not brown. Reserve.
- Heat oil with remaining ¼ cup butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sauté (you may have to do this in several batches). Avoid stirring too frequently in order to allow mushrooms to brown. Add shallots and reduce heat to medium. Cook until shallots are translucent; deglaze pan with wine then let alcohol evaporate, about two minutes. Add broth and roux and stir. Tie bay leaf, thyme and parsley together with kitchen string and add to mushrooms. Let cook until stock is reduced by half. Add Cognac and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cool in an ice bath and refrigerate, or keep warm if using immediately.
