Spicy Chicken and Zucchini Risotto

Ingredients

• 2 inches fresh gingerroot
• 3/4 teaspoon dried chili
• 1 pinch salt
• pepper (to taste)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 2 chicken breasts
• 6 ounces risotto rice
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1/2 ounce butter
• 1 dash white wine (1 splash)
• 1 large zucchini
• 1/2 lime

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare chicken by dicing into approximately 1 inch cubes and slice zucchini into small cubes, roughly the same length as a grain of rice. Rusticness is the key here though so don't worry about the odd lump here and there.

2. 2

   Make up chicken stock with 1 pint boiling water.

3. 3

   Start by preparing the glaze for the chicken; mix together a pinch of salt, dash of ground pepper, the spices, 1 crushed garlic clove, honey, crushed ginger root and 1 tbsp olive oil and a twist of lime. Put to one side.

4. 4

   For the risotto, melt the butter in a large heavy pan over a medium to high flame. Add remaining crushed garlic clove and add rice. Coat the rice in the butter for approximately a minute and a half. keep stirring to prevent sticking.

5. 5

   Add a splash of white wine and stir for a further 15 or so seconds.

6. 6

   Add half the chicken stock and leave to simmer on a medium flame for 3 minutes. Just before adding remaining chicken stock, add diced zucchini. Leave covered for 5 minutes, then keep checking to see the moistness of the rice for a further few minutes, it should be sticky and creamy, if it gets dry, add a little water. The rice should not be totally soft when served, but "al dente.".

7. 7

   In a separate frying pan, add a little olive oil and leave to heat. Add chicken and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds. Add glaze prepared earlier and fry until cooked all the way through.

8. 8

   Take off heat, stir chicken through and serve! Wonderful with a large glass of white wine.