Chicken Supreme with Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

Chicken supremes can be daunting to cook at first, but they really shouldn’t be. The key is to get a lovely crispy skin, (but not burnt), and the best tip we can give you to do that is cooking it on a low heat. The skin becomes crispy and golden, when the layer of fat beneath the chicken skin renders. You can use whatever bacon you like in the risotto as there isn’t enough of it to worry about, but we think it works really well with smoked streaky bacon, as that gives lovely smokey flavour.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken supremes
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 40g/1 tbsp butter
• 3 glugs of olive oil
• 75g bacon pieces (or 3 rashers chopped)
• 2 shallots
• 1 garlic clove
• Half a celery stick
• 200g mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 300g Arborio (risotto) rice
• 1 glass white wine (ideally dry)
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsps soft cheese
• Bunch flat leaf parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3

Strip the rosemary and thyme from the stalks and finely chop enough to give you about 1 tbsp, and sprinkle over the chicken supremes, and then season with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a low to medium heat with a glug of olive oil. Fry the chicken, skin side down. You want to allow the fat beneath the skin to render so that the skin becomes golden and crisp. This can take 10-15 minutes and must be done on a low heat, otherwise the skin will burn and scorch. Turn the breasts over and fry for 2-3 minutes on the other side before popping the breasts into a roasting tin in the oven for 20 minutes while you make the risotto.

Once they are cooked, the chicken supremes can be covered in foil and set aside to rest while you finish the risotto, otherwise they might dry up if left in the oven too long.

To make the risotto, cut the bacon into small diced pieces, and cut away the rind to your taste (although we quite like the salty flavour of bacon fat). Thinly slice and dice the shallots and celery, and crush the garlic.

In a large pan gently heat a glug of oil and then fry the bacon pieces. Cook until lightly browned, then add the shallots. Cook over a low heat until the shallots are nice and soft and translucent, then add the celery and garlic, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add the rice and give everything a good stir for 30-60 seconds. Then stir in the glass of wine and simmer until it is absorbed into the rice.

Make the stock, in a measuring jug (or pan) and add it to the rice one ladleful at a time. Stir it every now and again until the stock is absorbed, and then add another ladleful. If you don’t have a ladle use half a cup or 150ml each time. It should take about 15-20 minutes until all the stock is used, and then take off the heat.

The risotto should have a slight al-dente bite, but the mixture will be nice and sloppy, especially when you stir in the soft cheese. The heat from the mixture should melt the cheese as you stir, so there should be no need to heat it through. Season to taste, and stir in some chopped parsley.

Carve the chicken supreme breasts into 2 or 3 slices, cutting them on the diagonal. Serve a small mound of risotto on each plate, topped with a carved chicken supreme.