Chilli Butternut Squash Risotto with Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This was inspired by a vegetarian dish that was not topped with the chicken and simply a parmesan crisp. You could make a vegetarian version of this recipe by omitting the chicken and also using a vegetarian parmesan alternative, such as pecorino. There are a few tricks for a perfect risotto- add the warm stock a ladleful at a time; keep stirring; don’t overcook the rice (keep tasting as you go along) and eat right away, risotto doesn’t keep too well as it dries out and becomes claggy (don’t think thats a word….) It does require a little multitasking but try and have the chicken and the risotto ready at the same time for the best result.This comforting dish is perfect for a rainy, autumnal evening.

RECIPE

SERVES 2

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 70g parmesan, grated on a plate.
• Tablespoon of Breadcrumbs (optional- mix into parmesan plate if using)
• 1 Egg, beaten on a plate
• 1 tablespoon of flour, on a plate

For the risotto:

• 1 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 butternut squash, cut into small chunks
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli, very finely chopped
• 1 glass of white wine
• 140g risotto rice
• 60g parmesan
• About 600ml of chicken or vegetable stock (extra points if it’s homemade!), kept warm in a pan.
• 1 bunch of sage
• Butter
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 170C. Toss the butternut squash and the chopped chilli in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for around 20-30 minutes or until soft but not browned; for the last 5 minutes add the sage leaves  to crisp them up.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken. Place the chicken in between clingfilm and bash with a rolling pin (or the bottle of wine) until it has flattened quite considerably. This is important so it cooks before the parmesan burns.
3. Dust the flour over the chicken and dip into the egg and then coat with the parmesan (sounds complicated, but isn’t) Leave until ready to cook at step 8.
4. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Melt a bit of butter in the pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking gently for around 10 minutes until really soft.
5. Add the risotto rice and stir for a couple of minutes, until it begins to plump up.
6. Turn up the heat a bit and pour in the glass of wine. Stir and let it bubble until it has evaporated.
7. Add the stock a ladleful at a time and stir until it is almost all absorbed each time before adding another. It is difficult to say how long this will take, but when you start to think the rice is cooked, taste it. When it is cooked to your liking, add one more ladleful and turn off the heat. Stir in the parmesan and also a bit of butter, if you like.
8. When the risotto is almost done, heat another frying pan on a medium high heat. Melt a bit of butter and a lug of olive oil until hot (the chicken should sizzle when placed in the pan) and add the chicken. Cook for 5 or so minutes each side.
9. Mash up half of the butternut squash and stir both the mashed and chunks into the risotto, warm through if needed.
10. Serve the chicken on top of the risotto, sprinkled with the sage leaves.

TIPS

• The breadcrumbs are optional, but an easy hack to ensure you always have breadcrumbs to hand is to do what I do: Every time bread is getting a little stale to eat, I whizz it up and add it to a tub of breadcrumbs in the freezer. 
• For more heat, add some dried chilli flakes when cooking the onions. 
• You could coat the chicken in breadcrumbs: prepare and cook in the same way.