Champagne Risotto with Chicken, Asparagus, and Pancetta

*I'm posting this for the second time.  I first posted it four years ago, and it was pretty much straight from the cookbook. By now, I have made this so many times that I have eliminated some of the ingredients (a lemon cream sauce that I felt wasn't really necessary) and changed up a couple of things that I think make this dish easier and better! The re-posting is timely, as in Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book, she recommends this as a New Year's Eve menu, although I guess we couldn't wait, since we had it last night. 

This was so good! I didn't feel like it was really too much work, though it was a full page of instructions. Even if you think it is, it's definitely worth it, and I have tried to arrange the instructions so they're more concise.

The book claims this is two servings, but I'd say it's more like three.  You could easily get four servings out of it, if you serve with a salad, appetizer, or dessert.

4 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup arborio rice (don't use regular rice)
salt and pepper
1 split of sparkling wine (or 1/2 of a regular bottle)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 1/8"-thick slices of pancetta (or 2 slices bacon), chopped
1 small bundle of asparagus, tough ends trimmed, then cut in 1" pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped (I used dried, it was fine)

1. Chop your veggies, open your sparkling wine, and grate your cheese before you begin!  You will have a couple of skillets going at the same time, so you'll be glad you did.

2. Heat the stock in a small pot over very low heat and keep it there.

3. Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and toss to coat, then season with pepper. (I don't recommend adding salt at this time. There will be plenty to come with the stock and the cheese.)

4. Pour in the sparkling wine and allow it to cook off for about 1 minute.  Start adding in the stock, a few ladles at a time, until the rice is creamy and tender. (Reserve 1/2 cup of the stock for later.) During this time, stir frequently, and place a lid over the pot for a couple of minutes at a time to help the rice absorb the liquid. (Using the lid is important! Otherwise, you'll run out of stock before the rice is softened.)  Each time you add liquid, allow the rice to absorb the stock almost completely before adding more. In all, the rice will take about 20-25 minutes.

5. While the rice cooks, season the chicken with salt and pepper, and heat 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, then slice it and leave it on a plate to rest.

6. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of stock to deglaze the chicken pan, then pour it into the risotto along with the Parmesan and thyme.  Stir thoroughly to combine.

7. In the now-empty chicken skillet, cook the pancetta until it's crispy and browned. Remove it with a slotted spoon from the grease, and set it on a paper towel-lined plate  Pour out almost all of the pancetta grease, and use the tiny remainder (1-2 teaspoons will be plenty) to cook the asparagus and shallot, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Cook this for 3-5 minutes more, until the asparagus is tender and the shallot is browning nicely. Add the chicken to the pan for a minute or two to make sure it stays hot for serving.

8. Spread a large spoonful of risotto onto each plate, then top with the chicken, asparagus mixture, and a sprinkling of crispy pancetta.