Chicken Risotto

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil, divided
• 2 small sweet onions, diced
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small zucchini, cut into pieces
• 4 asparagus stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup of either Madeira wine, vermouth or sherry.
• 9 -10 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups arborio rice
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• Serves 8-10

Directions

1. In a large cast iron skillet or heavy saucepan, over medium, heat 1/4 cup of oil.
2. Add onions and cook until softened and golden.
3. Add mushrooms, zucchini and asparagus pieces and cook until softened.
4. Deglaze the pan by adding wine or substitute.
5. Use a spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Over medium-high heat, cook to the liquid reduces by half.
6. While you wait, in another medium pot, bring the stock to simmer and keep on stove over low heat.
7. Add 1 cup of stock to vegetable mixture and cook over medium until reduce and thickened.
8. Set aside.
9. Using a new heavy saucepan, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil over medium.
10. Pour in rice, and stir to coat (about 2-3 minutes)
11. A large spoonful at at a time, add the simmering stock.
12. Stir after each spoonful and let most of the liquid absorb into rice, but not dry out, before adding each new spoonful.
13. Reserve 1/4 cup of stock.
14. Taste rice, and if it is tender to bite, but still a tiny bit firm in the center (20 minutes or so), mix in the the cooked chicken and heat for 1 minute.
15. Take off the heat, and add margarine, onion mixture, and the rest of the stock, stirring it all in.
16. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.