Buffalo Chicken Risotto

[Zazzy]

Buffalo Chicken Risotto

The thing that I have learned about risotto is that anything goes. You have rice, a flavorful liquid, some type of supporting flavors and a finisher - usually cheese but could be sour cream or creme fraiche. After you get the basics down, you can create almost anything you dream up. I could see using a little beer in the flavorful liquid with this risotto. Maybe a hit with some lime juice right before serving.

Nutritionally, it has fairly low fat, an outrageous amount of sodium even with low sodium broth, and of course has way too many carbs for a diabetic but it’s a once in a while thing.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces chicken breasts, no skin, no bone, R-T-C
1/2 cup hot sauce, to taste
4 cups low-sodium defatted chicken broth
1 cup rice, medium grain or aborio
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Procedure

1. Heat chicken broth in a sauce pan until nice and hot. Cook the chicken breasts as you work on the rice, simply with a little nonstick spray and salt and pepper.

2. Sweat onions with 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan until soft. Add garlic and cook about a minute longer. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes. Begin adding the flavorful liquid a little at a time. Start with about a cup of broth and let it almost all absorb before adding another ladelful. I use a silicon spatula to stir my rice (pretty much constantly). When you can drag the spatula through the rice and leave an open path on the pan, it’s time to add more liquid. Keep adding liquid until the rice doesn't’t want any more, then add a little more. Rice should be soft but chewy. Takes about 20 minutes.

3. When chicken is done, shred the chicken and add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Stir to coat and add hot sauce and stir. Keep chicken and hot sauce warm until rice is done.

4. Add chicken and sauce to the rice, stir to combine. Add gorgonzola or other blue cheese and stir in. Serve immediately in pre-warmed bowls.