PREP: Mise the recipe ahead of time.

1. Make the marinade:

• Squeeze the lemon into a container just large enough to accommodate the chicken thighs.
• Peel the garlic, and then force the garlic through a garlic press into the container.
• Mince the rosemary and parsley leaves and add them to the container.
• Stir in the oil and salt.

2. Trim and marinate the chicken:

• Rinse the chicken under cold water and blot dry on paper towels.
• Trim away any visible yellow fat and excess skin.
• Place the chicken thighs in the marinade, skin-side-down, and then turn them over to coat all surfaces with marinade.
• Refrigerate the chicken for at least one hour and up to 24 hours. After 24 hours remove the chicken from the marinade and store chicken and marinade separately.
• Thoroughly wash and sanitize the knife, cutting board, and sink.

3. Shell the peas:

• Hold a pea pod over a bowl with the stem side facing upward and with the pea curving away from you.
• Use thumbs and index fingers to squeeze the bottom of the pod. The pod will open at the seam.
• Pull the two sides of the pod apart.
• Use your thumb to scrape the peas out of the pod and into the bowl.
• Repeat until all of the peas are shelled. Discard the pods.
• If prepping ahead, place the peas in a plastic bag.

4. Test-cook about ⅛ c of the freshly-shelled raw peas to determine their required cooking time: (See recipe note*.)

• Bring water to the simmer in a saucepan. Obtain a strainer that will fit down inside the saucepan.
• Put the peas in the strainer, place the strainer in the saucepan, and simmer briskly for about 1 minute.
• Lift out the strainer and taste one of the peas. You’re looking for a slightly sweet flavor and a tender, but not mushy, texture. If the pea is still chewy and starchy, continue cooking the remaining peas. Keep track of the cooking time, and keep tasting a pea every 20 seconds or so until the peas have cooked to a tender texture.
• Note the cooking time so that you’ll remember how long to cook the peas in the risi e bisi risotto.

5. Fabricate and par-cook the carrots:

• Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, place a bowl next to the stove, and have ready tongs or a perforated spoon and a paring knife.
• Peel and trim the carrots, leaving the stem ends on. (See recipe note**.)
• If some of the carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise to achieve even sizes.
• (See recipe note***.) Place the carrots in the water and blanch for 2 to 6 minutes, depending on the size and maturity of the carrots. Cook until a paring knife inserted into a carrot meets just a little resistance.
• Transfer the carrots to the bowl and refresh under cold running water for about 2 minutes.
• Blot dry on paper towels.
• If prepping ahead, place the carrots in a plastic bag with a folded paper towel in the bottom.

6. Par-cook the risi e bisi risotto:

• Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan on the stove or in a microwave oven until steaming hot.
• Bring about 2 cups water just to the simmer.
• Fine-chop the onion.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until the onion softens. Don’t let it brown.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute longer until the rice grains are coated with butter and have changed color from translucent to white. Don’t let the rice brown.
• Add the wine and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until it absorbs/evaporates and the pan is almost dry.
• Add ½ c of the hot stock and the salt, and cook as before, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes, until the stock absorbs/evaporates.
• Add ½ c of the simmering water and cook as before.
• Add the remaining ½ c stock and cook as before.
• Spoon out a few grains of rice and taste to evaluate the texture. The par-cooked rice should be slightly tender but still chewy; the center of the grains should be firm but not hard.
• If necessary, add another ½ c water and continue cooking. Repeat only if necessary until the rice grains are tender.
• If prepping ahead, transfer the par-cooked risotto to a container and cool to room temperature.

7. If necessary, fine-grate the cheese and place in a bowl or plastic bag for storage.

HOLD: After 24 hours remove the chicken from the marinade and store chicken and marinade separately. Refrigerate all ingredients up to 4 days.

COOK! Finish and plate your dinner.

8. Set up a grilling station:

• Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. (If your charcoal grill doesn’t have a lid, preheat an oven to 300°F.)
• Have ready a sizzle plate or small sheet tray, tongs, a flexible spatula, a heat-proof basting brush, and an instant-read thermometer.

9. Set up the carrots for reheating:

• Place the carrots in an microwave-proof dish, season with salt, and cover with plastic wrap. Don’t allow the plastic to contact the carrots.

10. Grill the chicken:

• Brush any bits of herb or garlic off of the skin side of the chicken thighs.
• Use tongs to lift each thigh out of the marinade and allow all excess to drip off. Place each thigh, skin-side-down, diagonally on the grill grid. Grill for about 1 minute.
• Baste with some of the marinade. (Take care not to use too much, or to splash marinade onto the flames; this can cause a flare-up.) Continue grilling for about 1 minute longer.
• Partially lift up one of the thighs to check underneath for light brown grill marks. (If the chicken skin has not yet released from the grill grid, don’t pull on it; just release the thigh back down onto the grid and wait for a minute or so longer.)
• When the chicken has achieved grill marks in one direction and releases from the grid, rotate each thigh 90° and continue grilling for about 1 minute longer to achieve an attractive cross-hatch grill pattern.
• Baste again, then turn over the thighs and continue grilling for about 1 minute longer.
• Transfer the chicken to the holding rack above the grilling surface; alternatively, turn off one burner and move the thighs to that area of the grill. Turn the heat to medium. (If your’re using a charcoal grill with no lid, transfer the thighs to the sizzle pan and place it in the oven.)
• Finish cooking the chicken by grill-roasting it (or in the oven) for about 10 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Place the chicken on the sizzle pan and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep it hot and to allow carryover cooking to raise the temperature to 165°F.

11. Chop the Italian parsley or cut it into chiffonade (very fine strands).

12. Finish the risi e bisi:

• Bring about 3 c water to the simmer.
• If necessary, put the par-cooked risi e bisi risotto in a saucepan placed over high heat. Add about 1 cup of simmering water and bring the rice and liquid up to the simmer. If you’ve determined that the peas will take about 2 minutes to cook, add them now. Stir carefully to avoid crushing the peas, then cover the pan. Recover the simmer and then cook, uncovered and stirring gently for about 1 minute. If the peas need only 1 minute of cooking, add them now. Cook until the liquid absorbs/evaporates.
• Pull out a few grains of rice and taste for texture. The rice should be tender but not mushy. If still too hard in the center of the grains, add more water and continue cooking.
• When both the rice grains and the peas are tender, add any juices that have exuded from the chicken. Then add more simmering water to achieve your desired consistency, whether it be just moist or rather “soupy.” Keep in mind that the sauce around the rice and peas will thicken with the addition of cheese.
• Squeeze in the lemon, stir, and then turn off the heat.
• Stir in the cheese. The sauce will thicken; adjust the consistency with more simmering water if necessary.
• Evaluate the seasoning and adjust the salt if necessary.

13. Place the carrots into a microwave oven and heat for 2 minutes.

14. Plate:

• Spoon a portion of the risi e bisi into the back left of each warmed shallow dinner bowl or plate.
• Place each chicken thigh on the front left side of the bowl, propped against the risi e bisi.
• Arrange a portion of the carrots on the right side of each bowl, stem ends propped against the risi e bisi.
• Scatter a diagonal line of parsley across each plate.