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Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Mary Berry Chicken and Mushroom Risotto Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken and mushroom risotto is silky, rich, and deeply flavoured — the definitive Italian comfort dish made perfectly at home.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g boneless skinless chicken thighs in 2cm pieces
  • 300 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
  • 50 g dried porcini soaked in 200ml boiling water 20 minutes
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots very finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 350 g arborio or carnaroli rice
  • 150 ml dry white wine
  • 1.2 litres chicken stock kept hot
  • Strained porcini soaking liquid added to stock
  • 75 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 25 g cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out, chop. Strain liquid — add to hot stock. Keep stock at gentle simmer throughout.
  2. Melt 25g butter with oil. Brown chicken — 3–4 minutes. Remove.
  3. Add 25g butter. Cook mushrooms and porcini over high heat 4–5 minutes until golden. Remove.
  4. Melt remaining 25g butter. Cook shallots 5–6 minutes. Add garlic — 1 minute.
  5. Add rice — stir 2 minutes until slightly translucent. Add wine — stir until absorbed.
  6. Add hot stock 1 ladle at a time, stirring and waiting for each to absorb before adding the next — 18–20 minutes total. Return chicken after 15 minutes.
  7. Add mushrooms. Remove from heat. Add cold butter and Parmesan — beat vigorously 1 minute until glossy. Season. Add parsley.
  8. Serve immediately in warm bowls with extra Parmesan.

Notes

Keep stock hot at a simmer throughout — cold stock ruins the texture.
Never rinse arborio rice — the surface starch is essential.
Toast the rice for 2 full minutes before adding any liquid.
The mantecatura — cold butter and Parmesan beaten in off the heat — is non-negotiable.
The consistency should flow in the bowl — not stand up in a pile.
Serve immediately — risotto cannot wait.
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