CookEat Recipe
Braised Pullet with Risotto
A small whole chicken braised with prosciutto, served with buttery rice enriched by its strained jus and finely chopped cooked giblets.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 small whole eviscerated chicken or pullet, about 700 g cleaned weight, with its cleaned liver and gizzard reserved; 300 g risotto rice; 100 g butter, divided into 30 g for the chicken, 35 g to start the rice and 35 g to finish; 40 g prosciutto with both fat and lean, cut into thin strips; 1 fairly large onion, finely sliced; 1 small piece carrot, about 40 g, finely sliced; 1 small handful dried edible mushrooms, about 10 g; 30 g grated Parmesan, an estimated good handful; Salt and black pepper to taste; Hot water as needed, about 1.2–1.5 litres available for chicken and rice.
Step 2
Keep the chicken and its professionally cleaned liver and gizzard cold until cooking; do not rinse raw poultry. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes, then drain, rinse off grit and slice. Tie the bird with food-safe kitchen string so its wings and legs stay close to the body.
Step 3
Put 30 g butter and the prosciutto strips into a heavy saucepan with the sliced onion and carrot. Set the chicken on them breast-side down and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat until coloured underneath, then turn carefully to colour the other side.
Step 4
Add the cleaned liver and gizzard. Pour in hot water a little at a time and simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is fully cooked, about 50–75 minutes depending on the bird. The thickest breast and inner thigh must reach 82°C without the probe touching bone; the giblets must reach at least 74°C and the gizzard must be tender. Keep enough liquid to provide jus for the rice.
Step 5
Lift out the cooked chicken and giblets and keep hot. Strain the cooking liquid, reserving some for the final chicken service. Simmer the soaked mushrooms in a little of this strained jus for at least 15 minutes or as their package directs, until fully tender. Keep them for the chicken side.
Step 6
Put the uncooked rice into a saucepan with 35 g butter. Stir briefly over gentle heat, then cook by adding hot water gradually as it absorbs, about 16–20 minutes depending on the rice. Near the end add the strained chicken jus in place of the last additions of water.
Step 7
When the rice is tender, stir in the final 35 g butter and the Parmesan. Chop the fully cooked liver and gizzard finely and mix them through the rice. Adjust the salt. Remove all string from the chicken, carve and serve beside the risotto with the mushrooms and reserved jus.
Step 8
For the source two-course service, divide the risotto between three bowls as a first course, then serve the chicken separately with a little jus and the mushrooms as its side. Serve the cooked rice promptly. Cool any leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate at 4°C or colder; use within 2–3 days and reheat only once to 74°C.
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