Chicken Cacciatore With Crisp Polenta Recipes

CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk water and cornmeal; microwave, covered, on high for 6 minutes. Stir; cook, covered, 5-7 minutes longer or until polenta is thickened, stirring every 2 minutes. Stir in cheese and salt., Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon., Add onion to the same pan; cook and stir 2-4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Return chicken to pan; stir in tomatoes and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with polenta. Freeze option: Do not prepare polenta until later. Freeze cooled chicken mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Prepare polenta as directed. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, reheat chicken, stirring occasionally; add a little water if necessary. Serve with polenta.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.
• In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.
• Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

MOM'S CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then toss them in a bowl with the flour to lightly coat.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the thighs and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the thighs to a plate.
• Add the onion and mushrooms to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and the mushrooms are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until the peppers are just starting to soften, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil, then cook, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by about half. Add the oregano and rosemary. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Add the olives and capers. Return the chicken to the pot, nestling in the sauce. Reduce the heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Steps:

• For the roasted half chickens: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Dry each chicken with paper towels until very dry.
• With a chef's knife, remove the backbone of each chicken by cutting down both sides of the backbone. Then split each chicken in half by cutting directly down the middle of the breast bone.
• Rub the chicken halves with the grapeseed oil and then season with the salt and pepper. Arrange the chickens on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast until the internal temperature in the middle of each breast is 155 degrees F., about 20 minutes. Turn the oven to a high broil and cook until the skin is evenly golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the chickens from the oven. Melt the butter in the sheet pan and baste the chicken occasionally while they rest for 10 minutes. (The chickens should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. after resting.)
• For the cacciatore sauce: Heat the grapeseed oil a saucepan over high heat. Add the onions and garlic, reduce the heat to medium-high and saute until the onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Add the Tomato Sauce and tomato paste, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes and then add the basil and parsley and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with some salt and pepper. Hold hot for serving.
• For the semolina polenta: Combine the chicken broth and heavy cream in a small pot and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the semolina. Bring the polenta back up to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer the polenta while stirring regularly for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the Parmesan and then season with some salt and pepper. Hold hot for serving.
• For the broccoli rabe: Bring 1 gallon water and 2 tablespoons salt to a rolling boil in a large pot. Set up an ice bath for shocking the rabe after blanching.
• Blanch the broccoli rabe in batches: Cook the rabe in the water for 45 seconds to 1 minute and then remove from the water and shock it in the ice bath. Dry the broccoli rabe with a kitchen towel.
• Heat a saute pan over high heat, add the grapeseed oil and saute the broccoli rabe for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then squeeze the lemon juice over the top.
• For plating: Divide the polenta among 6 plates; drag it from one side of the plate to the other.
• Heat the cacciatore sauce. Place the chickens in the sauce and simmer for 1 minute before plating. Place a half chicken over the polenta and top with some cacciatore sauce. Lean 4 pieces of broccoli rabe against each chicken.
• Combine the whole tomatoes, onion, olive oil, 4 cloves of the garlic, the basil, oregano, salt and pepper in a 2-gallon container or large pot and puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Heat a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to smoke. Reduce the heat to medium, add the grapeseed oil and the remaining 4 cloves garlic and quickly saute. Add the diced tomatoes and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pureed tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove from the heat. Bring back to a simmer when you are ready to serve. Yield: 6 servings

CHICKEN CACCIATORE WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, four at a time to avoid over-crowding - and fry until both sides are browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining chicken and transfer to a plate.
• Add the onion and bell pepper and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender. Add the dried herbs and red pepper flakes.
• Add the red wine and bring it to a boil over heat heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and ground porcini mushrooms. Stir to combine and return to a boil. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, showing no signs of pink when cut into near the bone.
• Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Return the sauce to a boil over high heat and cook until it has thickened a little, 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Dish out the polenta onto four plates, arrange two pieces of chicken on top of each serving of polenta, and spoon the sauce and vegetables over the chicken and polenta. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE AND POLENTA

Steps:

• In cooker, heat olive oil then chicken, brown for approximately 5 minutes, then add rest of ingredients. Close the lid and bring to pressure, lower heat and cook for the suggested time. My pressure cooker says on position 1, 21 minutes. On position 2, 12 minutes. Release the pressure and remove the lid.
• If you are not using a pressure cooker then simmer for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Watch your amount of fluids and add broth as needed).
• Serve over polenta (follow the directions on the polenta package). Enjoy!