CHICKEN, RED PEPPER AND CHORIZO RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the chicken stock in a pan until just boiling. Leave on simmer. Place four bowls (in which the risotto will be for served) somewhere to warm.
• As the stock is heating, in a separate large saucepan, heat butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the chicken breasts and seal all around until some of the flesh is browning slightly. Season the breast with a little salt and pepper as they cook. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the chicken breasts, placing them straight into the simmering stock. Retain butter, oil and chicken juices in the pan.
• Cook the chicken breasts in the stock for 10 minutes and then remove, placing them on a clean plate or chopping board to cool a little. Leave the stock on simmer.
• Whilst the chicken is cooling, reheat the pan that the chicken was cooked in. Fry the cubed red pepper in this pan until the colour changes from bright red to a softer colour red (this will only take a minute or so). Add the cubed chorizo to the pepper and stir fry both together until the chorizo has released oil but is not overcooked (this will take about two minutes).
• Use a straining spoon to remove the cooked pepper and chorizo from the pan and place it to one side in a clean dish.
• Add the chopped shallots (or onion) to the pan that the pepper and chorizo were cooked in and soften over a low heat for a few minutes. It will absorb the chorizo oil as it cooks so that no flavour is lost.
• While the shallots (or onion) are cooking, tear the chicken breast into small pieces, less than bite size. This is best done with fingers or forks (not a knife) to get rough texture on the chicken surfaces. Leave the chicken pieces on the plate or board.
• When the shallots (or onion) are cooked add a little more oil to the pan and turn up the heat. As soon as the pan is hot, add the rice to the pan and stir until the rice is translucent (about 2 minutes) then immediately add the glass of Vermouth/wine mixture - this will steam, so be ready for that - and continue to stir.
• Just before all of the Vermouth/wine has been absorbed by the rice turn down the heat to medium and start adding the hot stock, one ladle at a time. Stir between additions of stock and add the next ladle just before the one before has been absorbed into the rice mixture.
• After about 15 minutes, two thirds of the stock should have been added. At this point return the chicken, pepper and chorizo to the pan add continue to add the remaining stock, one ladle at a time.
• After a further 8-10 minutes of cooking all of the stock should have been incorporated and the risotto should be creamy but still slightly wet. It is almost ready for serving. Turn the heat off.
• Immediately add the Parmesan to the risotto and stir this in gently. It will create the final degree of creaminess needed.
• Serve the risotto into warm bowls, for eating with a spoon. No garnish is required because the risotto is packed with flavour, but if you want to garnish, top with some chopped flatleaf parsley This dish goes well with a glass of cold dry white Muscadet sur Lie or with a slightly peppery red Cotes du Rhone.