Sunday Supper: Food & Wine Pairing of the Week

Rosemary & Garlic Roast Chicken and Farro Risotto paired to Chardonnay

Today’s Sunday Supper hit all our high notes: quick, easy, healthy and delicious.

Here in Toronto it’s a gorgeous November 1st Sunday, full of bright sunshine and what feels like unseasonably high temperatures (why couldn’t the kids have had this last night for trick or treating?). It’s that perfect autumn day: sunny and comfortable enough for just a sweater or puffy vest, but still just cool enough to make you crave comforting fall flavours.

It’s also the kind of day that inspires us to tackle those nagging projects that have been taking up prime real estate too long on our “to-do” lists. Household chores and fall organizing are taking up most of our Sunday, so that means we have less time to prepare an inviting family dinner. And this is where this simple, delicious recipe really comes in handy.

We chose to use simple chicken breasts we had in the fridge, but it would be just as lovely – perhaps even better – with a whole chicken stuffed and roasted with garlic, rosemary and lemon. And y’all know how much we loves us a good risotto – check out our past Sunday Supper risotto recipe here – but this week we thought we’d shake it up a smidge by using farro – a trendy Italian grain that looks like a cross between brown rice and barley and tastes slightly nutty with a chewy texture. It’s not gluten free but a quick internet search suggests farro is fat free with as much fibre and protein as quinoa and double the calcium. So, there’s that.

Back to the joy of eating and drinking, a classic pairing for roast chicken and nutty grains is Chardonnay. But if you’re hankering for a red these fall days, rosemary is a brilliant pairing for a Cabernet from Bordeaux or a Chateauneuf du Pape.

If there seems to be a lot of steps to the below recipe, don’t panic. It’s all done simultaneously, and everything comes together in an hour.

Chicken with Rosemary and Garlic with Farro Risotto

serves 4

What You Need

• 2 large, boneless chicken breasts, at least 8 oz. each (skinless optional)
• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• S&P
• Olive oil
• 1 cup farro
• 1 pkg dried wild mushrooms (we used a mix)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 c diced shallots
• 1 Tbsp butter

How You Do It

1. Pat the chicken breast dry. Mix the rosemary, garlic and about 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl or resealable bag. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, do your other prep.
2. Boil water for the dried mushrooms. Soak the mushrooms in boiling water at least 15 minutes, or until soft. Drain the softened mushrooms reserving the soaking water (be sure to strain through a cheesecloth to remove the grit).
3. Chop the mushrooms.
4. Dice the shallot.
5. Preheat the oven to 425. When the oven is ready, remove the chicken from the marinade, place on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and place in the oven for about 30 minutes.
6. In medium sauce pot, warm the chicken stock over med-low heat. Add the clear mushroom soaking liquid to the stock.
7. In a deep saute pan, set over medium heat, add the butter and a splash of olive oil. Add the shallots and saute until translucent, perhaps five minutes. Tip: we read Marcella Hazan likes to add onions and shallots to a cold pan to reduce the possibility of burning. We’ve tried it and prefer that method as sometimes adding onions to an already hot pan makes them burn quickly. You of course, can do whatever you please because it’s a free country. 
8. Once the shallots are cooked, add in your farro and stir to coat in the butter/oil mixture. Give it a few minutes to toast a bit.
9. Now add in your white wine, careful of the steam, and scrape up the brown bits stuck the the bottom of the pan.
10. Stirring the farro occasionally (none of this constantly business some recipes require – sheesh) add one ladle of stock at a time, adding more as the liquid absorbs. In total this will take about 30 minutes. You may or may not use all the stock and that’s ok. The farro will stay chewy, but shouldn’t be hard.
11. When the chicken is cooked, and moist but no longer pink, take it out of the oven and let it sit, covered, until the farro is ready.
12. Once the farro is cooked to you liking, season with salt and pepper. Tip: careful about seasoning earlier in the cooking. Because the liquid absorbs into the grain, it’s easy to get too salty pretty quickly.
13. Add a small splash of stock and let cook another minute or two to let the s&p evenly season the farro.
14. Put a scoop of farro onto the centre of each of four plates. Slice the chicken and place 3-4 oz per person on top of the farro. Serve with a mixed lettuce salad or lightly sauteed green beans and that’s dinner.

The Wine Sisters’ Wine Pairing

Napa Cellars Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California 2013
$23.95 Vintages 225342
A full and creamy chardonnay that has substantial weight, but carries it well. With flavours of poached apple and pear, along with hints of citrus and tangy pineapple there’s an inviting smooth plushness to warm up cool days. 88 points.

How Did the Pairing Work?

It’s a classic. Rich, butter Chardonnay paired to roast chicken and the nutty sweetness of the farro. The flavours compliment and echo each other while both food and wine are equally matched for weight.