ThinkProof Cooking^TM
Golden Chicken Risotto: Meal Guide

A. Menu

Type	Informal Meal
Food	Carrot & Pepper Batons Golden Chicken Risotto Ice-cream
Booze	White wine; e.g. chardonnay
Serves	Four diners; Starting 6.30pm
Sources	"Quick & Easy: Practical Cookery", Parragon, Bath, 2002, p216

B. Ingredients Checklist

Stuff to have or buy:

*Ingredient*	*Already have*	*To buy*
Leek (medium; one)
Yellow pepper (large; one)
Red pepper (one)
Carrots (large; two)
Parmesan cheese (grated; 60g/2oz)
Butter (15g/½oz)
Chicken breasts (three: c.400g/14oz; skinless)
Ice-cream (any sort you like; 570ml/1pt)
Rice (425g/15oz; risotto/Arborio)
Sweetcorn (220g/7oz tin)
Peanuts (unsalted (preferably without skin on nut); 115g/4oz) [or cashews]
Olive oil (2 tablespoons/30ml) [other oil will do]
Saffron (few strands)
Black pepper
Chicken stock cubes (two)
White wine (e.g. chardonnay)

C. Pre-Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.4½ hours (e.g. c.1pm)

How long?: Pre-preparation takes about 1 minute

Ö
	1	Put wine in fridge

D. Preparation

When?: Timeline minus c.1 hour (e.g. c.4.30pm)

How long?: Preparation takes about 10 minutes

Food Preparation

None

Timeline Preparation

Ö
	1	Get cooking implements ready:	Very large non-stick saucepan (or casserole) with cover and stirrer for risotto; Frying pan and stirrer for toasting peanuts; Large jug, spoon and ladle for making stock; Chopping board and knife; Scissors for cutting chicken
	2	Get serving implements ready:	Very large bowl and serving spoon for risotto; Plate for crudites
	3	Get eating implements ready:	Large plates for risotto and salad; Wine and other glasses; Cutlery
	4	Make sure ingredients are all to hand:	Stock cubes; Rice; Leek; Yellow Pepper; Chicken; Olive oil; Butter; Saffron strands; Pepper grinder; Parmesan cheese; Peanuts; Tinned sweetcorn; Carrots; Red pepper; Ice-cream.

E. Timeline Cooking^TM

Ö	*Abs*	*Rel*	*Your*
	5.30	0		Boil 3 pints (1.5l) of water; Crumble two chicken stock cubes into the water and stir until dissolved; Set aside
	5.37	+7		Measure out 425g (15oz) of arborio rice
	5.38	+8		Cut one medium-sized leek into thin slices
	5.40	+10		Chop one yellow pepper into small pieces
	5.43	+13		Cut three chicken breasts into small pieces
	5.46	+16		Wash chickeny items
	5.48	+18		Heat 2 tablespoons (30ml) of olive oil and 15g (½ oz) of butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat
	5.51	+21		Add the chopped leek and pepper to the heated oil and stir for a minute
	5.53	+23		Add the diced chicken and stir until all pinky flesh colour on the outside has completely gone
	6.00	+30		Stir the rice into with the chicken/veg and cook for 3 minutes
	6.03	+33		Add a few strands of saffron and a grind of pepper to the mixture
	6.04	+34		Add chicken stock to risotto, one ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed; Keep stirring; Add stock until the rice is well-covered by stock (this will take ½ - ⅔ of the stock)
	6.10	+40		Once the mixture is simmering, turn down the heat to low
	6.11- 6.34	+41- 64		Stir and check every few minutes; If risotto is drying out, add more stock
	6.13	+43		Meanwhile, measure out 60g (2oz) of grated Parmesan cheese
	6.15	+45		Meanwhile also, measure out 115g (4oz) of unsalted peanuts; Place a large frying pan over a lowish heat and allow to heat up; Add the peanuts and stir continuously for five minutes until off-white; Then set aside
	6.23	+53		Open, drain and measure out 200g (7oz) of tinned sweetcorn
	6.25	+55		Wash, scrub and cut two carrots into batons; Wash, deseed and cut one red pepper into batons
	6.30	+60		Serve batons
	6.34	+64		Stir the sweetcorn, cheese and toasted peanuts into the risotto
	6.36	+66		Serve
				When you're ready, dole out the ice-cream