Boil a full kettle.

Meanwhile, trim and discard the root and dark green leafy part from the leek. Halve lengthways, then thinly slice.

Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Halve the lemon (see ingredients for amount).

Pour the boiled water for the stock (see pantry for amount) into a large measuring jug. Stir in the veg stock paste - this is your stock.

If you prefer oven-baking your risotto, preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Use an ovenproof pan and 2p: 600ml, 3p: 900ml, 4p: 1200ml of boiled water

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, wide-bottomed saucepan on medium heat.

Once hot, add the diced chicken and leek, season with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4-6 mins.

Stir in the garlic and Cajun spice mix (add less if you'd prefer things milder) and cook for 1 min, then stir in the risotto rice and cook until translucent around the edges, 1-2 mins. IMPORTANT: Wash hands and utensils after handling raw meat. Cook so there's no pink in the middle.

Pour in a third of the stock and stir to combine. Bring to the boil and simmer until absorbed, then repeat with the remaining stock, a third at a time. Stir occasionally.

The total cooking time should take 20-25 mins and your chicken risotto is done when the rice is ‘al dente’ - cooked through but with a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle. IMPORTANT: Cook so there's no pink in the middle of the chicken.

For oven-baking, pour in all the water at once and cover with a lid or foil. Bake until the water has been absorbed, 25-30 mins.

Once the risotto is cooked, remove from the heat, then stir through the hard Italian style cheese and a knob of butter (if you have any) until melted.

Stir vigorously until well combined, then finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice if needed.

Share the chicken risotto between your bowls. 

Scatter over the crispy onions to finish.

Enjoy!