ASIAN RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP AND CHICKEN

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 roast chicken, preferably smoked
3/4 pound medium-size raw shrimp
3 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Asian chile sauce (optional)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Cut off and discard mushroom stems. Cut mushroom caps into 1/4-inch strips.

Cut bell pepper into 1/4-inch cubes.

Toast pine nuts on baking sheet at 325 degrees F until golden, about 8 minutes. Combine ginger and garlic.

Separate chicken meat from bones and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Shell shrimp, then split in half along the back.

In small bowl, combine broth, sherry, soy sauce and chili sauce, if using.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.

Saute mushrooms until they begin to wilt, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to pan and saute garlic and ginger a few seconds.

Add rice and stir slowly for 3 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add broth mixture, a third at a time. Stir slowly until rice has absorbed nearly all the broth before adding the next third of broth.

When rice has absorbed almost all of broth and grains are firm but no longer raw-tasting (about 20 minutes in all), stir in mushrooms, red pepper, pine nuts, chicken and shrimp. Simmer 4 minutes longer to cook shrimp.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro.

Makes 4 entree servings
Source: Fusion Food Cookbook by Hugh Carpenter and Terri Sandison