serves
4
prep
10 minutes
cook
2 hours
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
10
minutes
cooking
2
hours
difficulty
Easy
level
"You know what, you can make a risotto out of anything. It’s easy! All the housewives in this area have their own recipes," said Luigi with a grin. "We’re by the sea which really suits growing Carnaroli rice. It’s an old variety; it grows tall which makes it more prone to being damaged by wind and rain. But we prefer it." ‘We’ is his family and their riseria (rice farm) called La Fagiana, in the Veneto region. La fagiana means ‘pheasant’ and Luigi says this dish is even better if you swap this with the chicken. "It’s a great dish for autumn, when the fog doesn’t leave the fields." Mum Carla shared her recipe with us.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 1.8 kg free-range chicken, jointed into 10 pieces, or 2 hen pheasants
- 3 tsp rosemary needles
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 150 ml (scant ⅔ cup) red wine
- 400 g passata
- 360 g carnaroli rice
- simmering water, as needed
- 75 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano (or as much as you like)
Instructions
- Heat the oil a casserole or Dutch oven over a medium heat and, when hot, add a few of the chicken pieces – don’t overcrowd the casserole or the meat will steam. Brown the chicken pieces in batches, then set to one side.
- Finely chop the rosemary needles. Add the onion to the casserole with the rosemary, bay leaf and salt and sauté for about 7 minutes until soft but not brown. Deglaze with half of the red wine, let the alcohol evaporate, then return the chicken to the casserole with the passata. Reduce the heat to a medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer until the chicken is cooked, adding water if the sauce starts to catch on the bottom. This should take a good hour. Take the breast pieces out after 30 minutes to stop them from drying out too much; cut them into bite-sized pieces and return them at finishing stage.
- Remove the cooked chicken and, when it is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones in chunks. Put to one side, covered with kitchen foil to keep warm. Check the seasoning of the sauce in the casserole, adding more salt if necessary.
- Tip the rice into the sauce along with the rest of the wine and give everything a good stir. Keep stirring. Whenever you can see the bottom of the pan as you scrape a wooden spoon through the mixture, add a splash of simmering water. Depending on your rice, the grains will take about 18 minutes to cook. Nibble a couple of grains every few minutes to check for doneness. Carnaroli rice is very forgiving but you don’t want mushy risotto.
- Stir the chicken through the risotto with the grated Parmigiano. Check the seasoning once again, then serve.
VARIATION
This was an instant hit with my family, and it has evolved! Having cooked a roast chicken, I make a stock with the bones. I use this to make a risotto with whatever wine is to hand, but I think the rosemary is important. I go easy on the passata and stir in leftover bits of roast chicken a couple of minutes before the rice is cooked. I think Carla would approve!
Recipe and image from (Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45 AUD, available in-stores nationally). Photography: Lizzie Mayson
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
"You know what, you can make a risotto out of anything. It’s easy! All the housewives in this area have their own recipes," said Luigi with a grin. "We’re by the sea which really suits growing Carnaroli rice. It’s an old variety; it grows tall which makes it more prone to being damaged by wind and rain. But we prefer it." ‘We’ is his family and their riseria (rice farm) called La Fagiana, in the Veneto region. La fagiana means ‘pheasant’ and Luigi says this dish is even better if you swap this with the chicken. "It’s a great dish for autumn, when the fog doesn’t leave the fields." Mum Carla shared her recipe with us.
