Chicken, thyme and pumpkin risotto

serves 4

preparation time:
15 minutes

cooking time:
30 minutes

ingredients

1 small pumpkin
50g (1¾ oz) The Co-operative unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes – try The Co-operative Healthy Living chicken
400g (14oz) The Co-operative Italian risotto rice
1 chicken stock cube
100ml (3½ fl oz) dry white wine
1 tsp dried thyme
50g (1½ oz) The Co-operative Parmesan cheese
1 litre boiling water

method

Preheat oven to 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6.

Cut off pumpkin top, scoop out seeds. Remove flesh and cut into small chunks (about 200g). Place the empty pumpkin on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Gently sauté for a few minutes. Add chicken, pumpkin chunks and thyme. Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring.

Add rice and stir until coated. Crumble the stock cube into the boiling water and add the wine. Add enough to cover the rice. Simmer and stir, adding more liquid as it is absorbed, until all stock and wine has been used and the rice is soft. Stir in half of the grated Parmesan.

Serve in the pumpkin. Sprinkle on top with the remaining Parmesan.