Chicken and Leek Risotto with Olives
A hearty main dish risotto featuring rosemary, Castelvetrano olives, and Asiago cheese.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into ½ inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper plus more to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek cut in half lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1½ cups arborio, carnaroli, or other short grain rice
- ½ cup dry white wine optional
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved see notes for substitutions
Instructions
- Add the broth to a small saucepan and set it on the back burner of your stove over medium heat. Check it as you finish prepping your ingredients, and turn it to low once it reaches a simmer.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken pieces in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Allow them to brown on one side and release from the pan, about 3 minutes, then toss for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a clean bowl and cover with a plate to keep warm.
- Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan, then the leek. Sauté the leek until it is limp and slightly translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté one minute more.
- Add the rice to the leeks and cook, stirring, until it turns opaque and slightly toasty, about 3 minutes.
- Stand back from the pan and carefully add the wine. Once the hissing subsides, use your spoon to scrape up any bits left on the bottom of the pan by the chicken. Cook, stirring, until the wine is mostly absorbed by the rice and the sharp alcohol smell has dissipated. Stir in the rosemary and a generous pinch of kosher salt.
- Use a ladle to scoop about ½ cup of broth into the rice (a standard kitchen ladle holds about ½ cup of fluid, no need to be exact). Stir until the broth is mostly absorbed into the rice, 2-3 minutes, then add another ladleful. Continue this process until all of the broth has been added. Your risotto should be pretty saucy still at this point.
- Taste to check the rice for doneness, so you have an idea where you are starting (it should still be pretty chewy). Continue cooking at a simmer, stirring well every 30-40 seconds, and check for doneness every couple of minutes. Turn down the heat if the rice starts to burn on the bottom. You can also add another ladleful or two of water if it starts to look dry before the rice is cooked.
- Once the rice is cooked to your liking, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chicken and Asiago. If you love cheese, by all means add more! Once the cheese is incorporated, taste the rice and add salt by the pinch if it's needed.
- Fold the olives into the risotto. Top with more grated Asiago and some crushed black pepper just before serving.
Notes
- Risotto requires constant/frequent stirring while it is cooking, so I recommend preparing all of your ingredients before you start cooking (mise en place).
- To wash leeks, trim, cut in half lengthwise, then slice. Add to a bowl of water and use your fingers to separate the layers in the water. Agitate well and then set aside for 5-10 minutes. All of the sediment will fall to the bottom of the bowl…just use your hands to scoop the leeks off the top and onto a paper towel.
- Parmesan, Pecorino, or Grana Padano can be substituted for the Asiago cheese.
- Picholine, Manzanilla, or Kalamata olives can be used in place of Castelvetrano olives.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 424.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.8g | Protein: 25.4g | Fat: 16.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 54.1mg | Sodium: 730.2mg | Potassium: 507.8mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1.1g | Vitamin A: 402.9IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 131.8mg | Iron: 3mg
