Carrots and celery give the risotto texture and still are crunchy when it is cooked.  Can be made up to this stage about 12 hours ahead.  Not suitable for freezing.

Serves 6

50g (2oz) butter
2 large chicken breasts, skinned and sliced into small thin strips
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small dice
2 sticks of celery, diced
350g (12oz) Arborio rice
150mls (1/4pint) white wine
about 1 litre (1 ¾ pints) good chicken stock
6 tablespoons Mary Berry’s Lemon and Thyme Sauce
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
75g (3oz) Parmesan cheese, grated

Melt half of the butter in a large deep non-stick frying pan. Brown the chicken strips very quickly until just cooked, transfer to a plate. Melt remaining butter, add the onion, carrot and celery. Fry for 2 minutes then add the rice and coat the grains of rice in the mixture, add the wine and stir.

Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring up to the boil then simmer. Add ladles of stock to the rice stirring all of the time until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, this will take about 20 minutes. You may not need all of the stock.

Add the chicken, Mary Berry’s Lemon and Thyme Sauce and heat through. Add the parsley and 2oz of Parmesan, spoon into a warmed serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cheese on top. Serve at once.

AGA COOKING
Cook on the simmering plate of the Aga.