Lemon Chicken & Lamb Risotto From Coppola Winery
Christmas doesn’t always have to be about giving gifts. Sometimes the smallest gestures such as cooking a homemade meal for your friends and family are a great way to show your love and appreciation — especially if you’re strapped for cash. Typically, a holiday menu consists of Turkey and all the fixings, but we all know it doesn’t have to be that way, so I’ve decided to share a couple of recipes that aren’t normally on the menu courtesy, of Francis Ford Coppola Winery’s Rustic Restaurant in Geyserville, CA for our readers to try at home.
Lamb Risotto with Chanterelles
Developed by Corey Beck, Director of Winemaking 
2T. olive oil
2 6 oz. boneless lamb loins
½ c. yellow onion, diced
½ lb. chanterelle mushroom, sliced
1 c. Arborio rice
¼ c. Francis Ford Coppola Winery Diamond Collection Claret wine
4 c. water or chicken stock, simmering
2 T. parmesan cheese, grated
1 T. butter, unsalted
Cut lamb loin into one-inch pieces. Place a wide bottomed pot over high heat and preheat for several minutes. Add one tablespoon olive oil to pot, carefully add the lamb pieces to it, and sear on all sides. Remove lamb from pot when all sides are nicely browned. Turn heat down to medium, add another tablespoon of olive oil, and add the onions. Cook the onions over medium heat until translucent, approximately 3 minutes, and then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the rice to the pot with the onions and mushrooms and stir for two minutes. Add wine and reduce the liquid until the pot is dry. Add one cup of water or stock to the pot, stirring constantly. Reduce the water or stock by half before adding another cup, stirring the whole time, until all the liquid is used up. Test the doneness of the rice and add more liquid if needed. Finish the rice by adding the butter, parmesan cheese, and lamb pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves four.
P.S. I’m told this meal pairs well with the same Cabernet Sauvignon in the recipe, which can be purchased for $19 here.
Those who don’t eat red meat are encouraged to try Mrs. Scorsese’s Lemon Chicken:
2 lbs chicken leg and chicken thighs, halved
2 cups fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs sliced garlic
4 large sprigs fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Coat bottom of 16 oz baking dish with the olive oil. Add sliced garlic. Place chicken skin side down in dish and season with salt and pepper. Drown chicken in lemon juice, then top with two sprigs fresh oregano. Place in 350 degree oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove, then flip chicken to expose skin. Return to oven and cook again for 25 – 30 minutes until lemon juice is reduced by half and skin is a golden brown. Serve with rice pilaf and garnish with new sprigs of fresh oregano.
Wine Pairing: The Director’s Cut Sauvignon Blanc set, available for $42 here.
