feed me comfort food
Recipe: Donnie’s risotto
Wordsmith Donnie aka De Fenomeen has been rapping since a young age, was discovered by Vjeze Fur of De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, and ever since then things have been going well for him musically. Less well known is that he also has a chef’s diploma and has worked in various Amsterdam restaurants behind the stove. So Donnie knows exactly what he’s talking about when he says: ‘If you don’t glorify your life, then what’s the point of having fun?’ He wrote an accessible cookbook full of crowd pleasers and guilty pleasures that are still homemade, ‘with very little rubbish’.
Donnie explains: ‘I’m a fan of risotto, but it needs a lot of attention and the outcome is always a surprise. Actually, just like a relationship, ladies and gentlemen.’
How to make Donnie’s risotto
- Bring 750 ml water to the boil and dissolve the stock cubes in it. Keep the stock warm.
- Peel and finely chop the trio of onions and the garlic.
- Cut the carrot and bell pepper into small cubes.
- Grate the Parmesan.
- Cut the lemon in half and slice one half.
- Heat a frying pan with some olive oil and a small knob of butter, and add the sprig of thyme and the garlic clove.
- Fry the chicken breast over medium-high heat for 10 minutes until browned all over.
- The chicken does not need to be fully cooked, as it will continue cooking with the risotto later.
- Deglaze with the juice of ½ lemon.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, season with pepper & salt, and wrap the chicken breast in aluminum foil with the thyme, garlic and a slice of lemon.
- Let the parcel rest until the risotto is almost ready.
- Now heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based pan and sauté the onions, garlic and carrot.
- Add the rice and fry along until it turns white.
- Deglaze with the white wine.
- Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add a ladleful of warm stock.
- Keep stirring and, once the liquid has been absorbed, add another spoonful of stock. Repeat.
- Add the bell pepper after 10 minutes and slice the chicken. Keep a close eye on the risotto once you have added 500–600 ml of stock and keep stirring.
- Add the chicken slices and check whether the rice is cooked but still has some bite. If not, add a little more stock. You probably won’t need all 750 ml of stock.
- Turn off the heat, add the butter and Parmesan, and put the lid on the pan.
- Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Stir well and serve immediately. Delicious with freshly ground black pepper on top.
Without the chicken, carrot and bell pepper, this is a basic risotto. So vary it with other vegetables such as mushrooms, peas, broccoli, cauliflower or fennel, fish and meat. Anything goes.
Title: Donnie’s Cookbook
Author: Donnie
Publisher: Unieboek Spectrum
Price: €17,99
