Risotto With Chicken and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 sweet white onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 leek, white part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup madeira wine, at room temperature
• 9-10 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups arborio rice or carnaroli rice
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. 1

   In a large, heavy saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and leeks and saute until the onions turn golden brown (about 15 minutes).

2. 2

   Add the Madeira to deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-high heat to reduce the liquid by half.

3. 3

   In another saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a gentle simmer and maintain over low heat.

4. 4

   Add 1 cup of the simmering stock to the onion mixture and continue cooking over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced and the mixture is quite thick (about 15 minutes longer). Set aside.

5. 5

   While the onions simmer, in another large heavy saucepan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until each grain is well coated with oil and translucent with a white dot in the center (about 3 minutes).

6. 6

   Add the simmering stock a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed (but the rice is never dry on top) before adding the next ladelful. Save 1/4 cup of stock to add at the end.

7. 7

   When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy (about 20 minutes), stir in the chicken. Cook to heat through, about 1 minute.

8. 8

   Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, caramelized onion mixture, and reserved 1/4 cup of stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at once.