Braised Chicken Thighs and Risotto

Tags

arborio rice, braise, braising, chicken, chicken thighs, dinner, Risotto, Slow cook

Now that  Autumn is here, what better way to celebrate the best season of the  year than with a fantastic braise.  Juicy tender chicken thighs cooked slowly in a perfectly seasoned broth with carrots, celery, onions and garlic to name a few. Served  with a silky, creamy and packed with flavor risotto.  Is your mouth watering yet?.  This meal is a perfect way to end a long weekend full of outdoor activities. So lets relax and enjoy this hearty meal with friends and  family along with a nice glass of red! Happy Cookin!

Risotto

1. 2 Cups of Arborio rice.
2. 4 Cups of low sodium chicken broth.
3. 1 Tbs of Olive oil.
4. 2 Tbs of butter (unsalted).
5. 1 Cup of white wine.
6. 1/2 Cup of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
7. 1 Small onion cut into small dice.
8. 1/2 cup of small diced carrots.
9. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Start by simmering  4 cups of chicken stock (do not allow to boil) in a small pot.  In a 10-12″ skillet heat one tablespoon of Olive oil and one tablespoon of butter, add the onions and cook until translucent(about 8 minutes), add the rice and diced carrots and cook until rice looks toasty or opaque, then add a cup of wine and stir constantly until wine evaporates completely. At this point start to ladle in the stock, enough to cover the rice half way, stir constantly until stock has been absorbed  by the rice, repeat process until rice is fully cooked (18-20 minutes) Rice should be “al dente”.  finally add the 1/2 cup of cheese, salt and pepper, and the remaining butter and serve right away.

Chicken Thighs

1. 8 Pcs of chicken thighs (skin removed).
2. 1 Onion roughly chopped.
3. 2Carrots roughly chopped.
4. 2 Stacks of celery roughly chopped.
5. 2 Tbs of all purpose flour.
6. 3 Cloves of garlic roughly chopped.
7. 1/2 Tsp of cinnamon.
8. 1/2 Tsp of salt and pepper.
9. 2 Bay leaves.
10. 2 Cups of chicken broth.
11. 1 Tps of pepper flakes.
12. 1/2 Tsp of powder ginger.
13. 2 Tbs of canola oil/ 2 Tbs of butter.
14. 1/2 Tsp of allspice
15. Juice of one lemon.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, in a  10″-12″ dutch oven(any pot that holds good heat will do)heat one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of butter and  brown  chicken 4 pcs at a time, about 4 minutes per side, remove the chicken and set aside, repeat process with other 4 pcs.  Once chicken has been browned, remove and add the remaining  oil and butter to the pot  along with  onions and cook for 8 minutes.  Add the carrots, celery and bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock and the rest of ingredients, bring liquid to a boil. Finally add the chicken thighs back to the pot and lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!!