Smoked Chicken Breast and Butternut Squash Risotto with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Smoked Chicken Breast and Butternut Squash Risotto with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Alicia Watson, the chef and owner at Chateaux Cuisine, is dedicated to providing an unforgettable private dining experience for any occasion and provided us with this fabulous risotto recipe.

Alicia Watson

Smoked Chicken Breast

(Serves 4)

3-4 Bundles of rosemary

4 Chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Soak rosemary in cold water for 30 mins. Light the BBQ and allow the coals to calm down. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay the damp rosemary directly onto the coals. Once the smoke has cleared a little place the chicken onto the grill and BBQ as usual.

Butternut Squash Risotto

900ml Warm chicken stock

3 tbs Extra virgin olive oil

3 Shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Small butternut squash

200g Arborio rice

150ml White wine

60g Freshly grated parmesan

Small handful fresh sage, finely chopped

1 Pinch saffron

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Peel, deseed and dice the squash into 2cm cubes, coat them in half the oil, season and roast for 12-15 mins until tender and golden brown all over. Heat remaining oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and fry for 8-10 mins until softened. Add the rice, stirring constantly until coated in the oil (1-2 mins). Pour in the wine and turn up the heat to bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce the wine by 2/3rds. Stir frequently to stop the rice sticking to the base of the pan. Add a ladle of warm stock, bring back to the simmer and stir as the stock is absorbed into the rice. Add the saffron and another ladle of stock and repeat until most of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is ‘al dente’. Stir in the sage, cooked squash and parmesan. Turn off the heat and season to taste.

Smoked Chicken Breast and Butternut Squash Risotto with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Wild Mushroom Sauce

25g Butter

2 Shallots, peeled and diced

2 Cloves garlic, crushed

200g Fresh wild mushrooms (keep a few for decoration)

30g Dried wild mushrooms, soaked in 100ml hot water

100 ml Dry white wine

200 ml Chicken stock

100ml

Handful chopped parsley

Add butter to a pan and fry the shallots and garlic for 2 mins. Add wine, reduce by half. Add both the fresh and soaked mushrooms with the liquid, stock and cream, and reduce by half. Stir in the chopped parsley and turn off the heat.

First published in the October issue of The Local Buzz

Images: Chateaux Cuisine