Roasted Chicken….
Is there anything more simple, more comforting, more welcoming? Roasting a chicken is one of those “fire and forget” dishes. Season, put it in the oven and spend a few hours smelling the wonderful aromas that materialize. Read a book, prepare sides while it cooks and engage in conversation over wine to pass the time. Plus, you can contemplate the leftovers! Homemade stock, Soup, Chicken Salad…….. Roasted Chicken could very well be the mother of the axiom “Cook Once, Eat Twice” and that’s what happened when I recently roasted a large bird this past weekend.
Roasted Chicken Risotto with Spring Peas and Carrots
1 medium vidalia onion, diced small
2 medium carrots, diced small
2 Cups Arborio Rice
32 oz. Chicken Stock
Roasted Chicken chopped off the bone (see picture below)
4-6 oz. Spring Peas (Frozen)
Splash dry white wine
Start by warming your stock in a pot over low heat. Meanwhile, dice the onion and carrot and in a pan that will hold the finished risotto, saute in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil until softened.
~ This image shows everything at this stage. The warmed stock and the rice simmering. For the chicken, I used one breast, one leg and one thigh plus assorted other “scraps”. Use what you have and if it’s not enough, you can purchase a store bought roasted chicken to augment ~
Next, add the rice and stir to “toast” the grains – about 1 minute. Then begin ladling the stock into the rice one or two ladles at a time and stir constantly to combine. When the rice absorbs the stock, add another two ladles. Continue this process until you have finished the stock or the rice is al dente. If your stock runs out, just use hot water.
About 5 minutes before the rice is ready, add the chicken to the rice and stir through. Then add the peas directly from the freezer and stir. They will cook quickly in the hot rice. Serve immediately on warmed plates. Pass Parmigiano and Cracked Black Pepper to garnish.
~ The finished dish. We served the 2009 Campochiarenti Vernaccia di San Gimignano with this risotto and the match was perfect ~
The 2009 Campochiarenti Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the perfect foil for this dish. I’ve written about this wine on several occasions and it has never failed to impress. The nature of this wine has always been based in sea and alkaline aromas and this tasting was no different.
The medium golden color still looks youthful. On the nose, the taster is greeted by wet sea sand, raw oysters, flinty minerals and soft white peach and citrus notes that are mellowing. On the palate, the wine is lively and fresh with bright lemon and lemon grass flavors balanced by dusty minerals, salinity and slight petrol notes reminiscent of Alsace. Wonderful with this dish. Not quite as dynamic as this tasting, so I’m inclined to drink my remaining bottles sooner rather than later. I will miss this transcendent Vernaccia. 91 points. Find this wine.
~ Ciao Ciao from Campochiarenti ~
Salute!
