Riso alla Pitocca (risotto with chicken)

I love risotto, but many recipes require constant stirring and I don't have time for that. What if baby wakes up and I have to leave the risotto for a few minutes? I'd hate for it to be ruined! Thus, when my mom gave me this recipe for Riso alla Pitocca, which requires very little stirring, I was thrilled. I often add extra broiled vegetables at the end, but there is no need to do that if you are not a veggie person. Also, the original recipe calls for chicken thighs, but I am still wary of dark meat, so I stick with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can make this earlier in the day and rewarm it gently at dinner time. It also makes a great lunch the next day!

Riso alla Pitocca (risotto with chicken): adapted from Lidia's Italy
1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery , diced
2 plump garlic cloves, diced or pressed through a garlic press
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 fresh bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups hot chicken broth, plus more if needed, or 5 cups hot water with 5 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon chicken base (I find this easier and more cost effective than always having chicken broth on hand)
2 cups Italian short-grain rice, such as Arborio
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Set broth (or water with Better than Bouillon) to heat over medium heat. Dice the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. You can also put these into a food processor if you want them to be chopped up very finely. I am lazy about getting out and washing the food processor, and I like bigger chunks so I just dice them by hand. Heat the oil in a large saucepan (I use an enameled cast iron dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the veggies to the oil, along with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until soft and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently. While the veggies are cooking, cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to the pot, along with the bay leaf and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Cook until chicken is just barely cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Raise heat to high and pour in the wine, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine has almost evaporated. Pour in the hot broth and the rice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low (so the Riso is still bubbling gently), cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is creamy and fully cooked. If the broth has all been absorbed but the rice is not yet at the consistency you like, add more hot broth and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the butter pieces, then the grated cheese. Serve hot with more grated cheese.

Variations:
- I like to broil some peppers and zucchini and add those at the end so the rice becomes a complete "one-pot" meal with plenty of veggies.
- My mom has made this with chicken sausage instead of chicken thighs/breasts and says it is great. But make sure you get high-quality, fresh chicken sausage, not the pre-cooked variety.