Directions

To prepare the chicken:

1. With a knife, split the legs into two sections cutting cleanly through the joint. Remove the bone from the thigh taking care to cut away all the cartilage. Chop the knuckle of the chicken leg with the base of your knife. Reserve the bones for your broth.
   

To prepare the mushrooms and onions:

1. Clean, trim, and slice the mushrooms into even-sized pieces, saving stems and trimmings for the broth. Chop 3/4 onion coarsely for the stock and finely chop the remaining 1/4 onion for the risotto.
   

To prepare the broth:

1. In a dry 3-5qt saucepan over medium heat, sweat the coarsely chopped onion, carrot, and celery with a big pinch of salt, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushroom trimmings, reserved chicken bones and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the dried porcini (if using), a sprig of thyme and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40-50 minutes, turn off the heat, strain, discard the solids and return the broth to the saucepan to keep warm.

To prepare the chicken and mushrooms:

1. In a 5-qt sauté pan over medium-high heat, add a film of olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and sear to brown the skin on all sides of the drumsticks and the skin side of the thighs. This process takes some time and patience to get a golden color on the pieces and they will cook a significant amount of the way through. If the fond in the pan begins to darken, reduce the heat slightly. Once brown, add the butter, crushed garlic and thyme and roll the chicken pieces around to coat them in the flavors. Remove the chicken to a plate and add another film of olive oil. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms start to color and soften, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, scraping out any browned bits with them to a plate and set aside.
   

To prepare the risotto and assemble the dish:

1. Now, in the same pan: Heat a thin film of olive oil, over medium heat. Stir in the finely chopped onion, season with salt and sweat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic stirring through, then and rice and toast, stirring, until the grains start to look translucent around the edges, about 1 minute. Season with salt again. Pour in the wine and simmer, stirring often, until the pot is nearly dry, about 3-5 minutes.

   Ladle 1/3 of the broth through into the sauté pan, cook the rice stirring often until nearly dry. Add the second 1/3 of broth and stir in the mushrooms, season again with a good pinch of salt then flatten and nestle in the chicken pieces (you can also add in the chicken juices here). Cover the pan and turn the heat to low and allow the liquid to absorb 3-5 minutes. Uncover, add the last addition of liquid and add the butter, stirring gently in and around the chicken loosening any parts that have begun to stick. Flatten again and top with the snap peas. Re-cover the pan for 3-5 minutes to allow the chicken and peas to cook through. Uncover, the consistency can be adjusted slightly with a bit of hot water or some of the remaining broth. Grate about 1/4 cup of cheese over the pan, and finish with black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and pea shoots or coarsely chopped herbs. For a dramatic presentation serve in the pan at the table on a trivet (hot pad) or spoon onto warmed plates.