This is a great recipe for using up any leftover chicken after a roast dinner. It was inspired and adapted from Deliciously Ella’s Pea and Courgette Risotto from her book Deliciously Ella with Friends.

Using the coconut milk gives the creaminess that you expect from a typical risotto using white arborio rice.  I used broccoli here but you could use any green veg you have in the house, for example frozen peas or green beans would work well.

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This recipe serves two adults and two children with another portion left over for lunch the next day.

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Ingredients

Olive oil

1 small white onion

3 large garlic cloves

350g Short-grain brown rice

1 small glass / half a miniature bottle of white wine

400ml can of coconut milk

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp dried thyme

Half a head of broccoli

Large handful of shredded cooked chicken

1 tbsp cooked stuffing mix (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Method

Add the olive oil to a deep saucepan and warm.

Add the onion and fry on a low heat for five minutes until it starts to go translucent.

Crush the garlic into the pan and leave to fry for one minute.

While the garlic is frying. wash the rice and then add to the pan stirring so that the oil coats it.  Once the rice is coated in any oil, pour in the wine.

Leave to simmer for a couple of minutes before adding the coconut milk, lemon juice, cider vinegar, thyme and 150ml of boiling water.

Bring to the boil, turn the heat down, put on the lid and leave to cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to check it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add in the broccoli and leave to simmer with the lid on for another 5 minutes.  By this time the rice should have sucked up most of the liquid and should be just soft when tasted.  If the rice needs longer to cook, add more boiling water as needed and leave again to simmer checking every 5 minutes or so.

Add in the chicken and stuffing if using and allow to warm through.

Lastly season to taste.

Enjoy!

*TIP*

If you use normal arborio white risotto rice you will need to reduce the cooking time and probably reduce the liquid added as well.  It’s always better to add less and then add in more if needed rather than allow the rice to absorb too much.

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