SERVES 4
“Hunter’s-style” chicken may or may not involve whatever your hunter brings home from the hunt, but it usually involves mushrooms and rosemary in my house, where most of the hunting is done at the Union Square Greenmarket or at Eataly.
8 cloves garlic, chopped
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3-pound) organic broiler chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup very hot water
2 large red onions, cut into ½-inch dice
1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch dice
2 bulbs fennel, cut into ½-inch dice, fronds chopped and reserved
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (¼ cup)
In a large bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, salt, and black pepper, and add enough of the olive oil (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make a somewhat dry paste. Add the chicken and rub the paste evenly over the pieces of chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Place the dried porcini in a bowl and pour the water over them. Set aside to reconstitute for 15 minutes.
In a Dutch oven, heat the remaining ¼ cup olive oil over high heat until smoking. Brush the excess paste from the chicken pieces and sear, in batches if necessary, until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the onions, cremini, pancetta, fennel, and carrots to the pot, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until the onions are golden brown and the pancetta has rendered its fat, about 10 minutes. Drain off the excess oil, then add the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until it is rust-colored. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the stock, the porcini and their soaking liquid, and the red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
Return the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a festive platter, stir the fennel fronds and parsley into the vegetable mixture, top with the sauce, and serve.