Baked Mushroom, Leek, Chicken and Thyme Risotto
A creamy, oven-baked risotto made in one cast iron pot. Rich with earthy mushrooms, sweet leek, tender chicken thigh and fragrant thyme. No stirring required.
Ingredients
- 60 g butter
- 1 leek white and pale green parts only thinly sliced and well washed
- 250 g swiss brown mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large pinch sea salt
- 3 tsp cracked black pepper
- 500 g chicken thigh diced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 3.5 cups chicken stock warm keep extra 1/2 cup on hand
- 2 tbsp cream
- 3 tsp mushroom sauce dark concentrated vegan soy alternative
- 1 handful fresh thyme leaves
- 200 g snow peas trimmed
- 1 handful parmesan finely grated to finish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C fan-forced or 200 degrees C conventional.
- Melt the butter in your cast iron pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced leek and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and starting to turn sweet and silky.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the mushrooms have softened and released their liquid. Season well.
- Add the diced chicken thigh to the pot and cook for a few minutes, stirring to coat it in all those buttery mushroomy juices and get a little colour on it. Season again.
- Pour in your apple cider vinegar or white wine and cook it off just as you would wine, letting it bubble and reduce for about a minute and scraping up all the caramelised bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the arborio rice and stir to coat everything in all that buttery goodness for a minute or two.
- Pour in the warm stock combined with the cream, add the mushroom sauce and thyme leaves, and stir to combine. The starch from the rice as it cooks will keep the cream smooth and silky. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Bring the pot to a gentle simmer on the stovetop, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and continue baking for a further 20 to 25 minutes.
- With about 5 minutes to go, scatter in the snow peas and gently stir them through. The liquid should be well absorbed. If it looks like it is drying out too early add that extra warm stock. Don't worry if the rice bsetdi.l lI fh aist al oloiktst llei kbei tiet wihse nd riyti ncgo moeust otuoto oefa rtlhye aodvde nt,h atth aetx tirsa ewxaarcmt lsyt orcikg.h tD oann'dt iwto rwriyl li ff itnhies hr iccoeo ksitnigl ld uhraisn ga tlhiet trlees tb.i
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Notes
On the ACV swap: Apple cider vinegar is a brilliant pantry substitute for white wine in this recipe, and the mushroom sauce is the secret weapon that balances it out. Its deep, salty umami cuts right through the ACV's acidity and brings everything into harmony. Just make sure you are using a good quality, concentrated mushroom sauce (the dark, vegan soy-style variety) and you won't miss the wine at all.
On meal prep: This risotto is a fantastic make-ahead meal. Pull it out of the oven 5 minutes early, before it's fully finished, and set it aside. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat it gently on the stovetop with a splash of warm stock to loosen it up and it will come back to life beautifully.
On the rice: Don't rinse your arborio rice. The surface starch is what gives risotto its signature creaminess.
On leftovers: Baked risotto reheats wonderfully with a splash of extra stock or water stirred through to loosen it up. Shape any leftovers into patties, coat in breadcrumbs and pan-fry. Arancini the next day is never a bad idea.
On the cast iron: Cast iron holds heat beautifully and is ideal for this dish. If your lid isn't a perfect seal, you may find the liquid absorbs faster, so just keep that extra warm stock nearby.
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