Chicken Rustica Over Polenta Recipes

POLENTA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the chicken legs and divide them at the joint. Sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper.
• Brown chicken: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan, a pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer. Place the chicken parts in the pan and brown all over. Sprinkle the paprika on top and stir well to coat the chicken parts with it. Add the chicken stock, it should cover the meat almost entirely, but the chicken should not be swimming in liquid.
• Simmer: Chop the parsley and add half of it to the pan. Add some pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pan leaving a crack open. Cook for about 30 minutes (turning the chicken once in between) or until the meat is cooked through.
• Polenta: Start making the polenta about now if you want to serve this immediately.
• Sauce: By the end of the cooking time, the sauce should have been reduced by half. If you want a thicker sauce, remove the lid from the pot during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. I don't find it necessary; I like to have a runnier sauce to soak the polenta.
• Grate the garlic cloves and add them to the pan together with the rest of the chopped parsley. Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and season.
• To make the polenta, heat the water in a large pan but do not let it come to a boil. Add the salt, stir to dissolve. Add the polenta in a slow stream while stirring all the time.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover with a crack, and cook, often stirring, according to the packet's instructions. Mine takes about 20 minutes, but that can differ greatly depending on the polenta you bought.
• Add butter: Once the polenta is ready, stir in the butter.
• Serve as soon as the polenta is ready.

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.

ROAST CHICKEN BREAST WITH POLENTA AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place about 5 slices of the polenta in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the chicken breasts on top of the polenta slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with the Italian seasoning and Parmesan. Arrange the garlic cloves and tomatoes around the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil.
• Bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan and olive oil to taste. Serve warm.

CHICKEN RUSTICA OVER POLENTA

Steps:

• Instructions: Brown bacon in large deep pan. Remove bacon, leaving 1-2 T. drippings in pan.
• Dust chicken pieces with flour, salt and pepper. Brown chicken pieces 4 minutes each side in bacon fat; remove to platter when browned both sides.
• Make sauce: Heat oil, add chopped onion; sauté over low heat 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, sauté 2 more minutes.
• Add all other sauce ingredients and mix. Add bacon and browned chicken pieces; gently simmer 30 minutes.
• Add drained beans and simmer 10 more minutes. During this last 10 minutes, make polenta.
• Polenta: combine water and salt in a large glass microwave-safe bowl; whisk in cornmeal. Cover and microwave on HIGH 4 minutes; stir. Uncover and microwave 2 minutes; stir. Microwave 2 more minutes; stir in Parmesan cheese; sprinkle with parsley.
• To serve, spoon polenta in a bowl, then top with chicken and plenty of the chunky sauce. Garnish with parsley.

CHICKEN-AND-POLENTA PUTTANESCA MELTS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element. Season polenta and chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high; swirl in 2 tablespoons oil. Add polenta and cook, flipping once, until golden and crisp on edges, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add chicken to skillet; cook until browned on edges and cooked through, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil, olives, capers, and garlic to skillet; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
• Stir marinara into skillet; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; nestle in chicken and polenta, shingling them and spooning some sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese; broil until bubbly, 4 to 5 minutes. Top with parsley; serve.

CRISP ITALIAN CHICKEN & POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Using your fingers, roughly break up the polenta into small chunks and scatter in the bottom of a small roasting tin. Tip in the parmesan and mix. Sit the chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, rosemary and garlic on top of the polenta, drizzle with olive oil, then season to taste.
• Roast for 25 mins until the chicken skin is crisp and golden, and the polenta and cheese are turning crusty around the edges. Serve with a green salad.

SAUCY CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE OVER CREAMY PARMESAN POLENTA

Steps:

• In a saucepan or a Dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until the onion is soft and has become translucent. Add the chicken and sausage to the skillet, season with salt, pepper and oregano. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken and sausage starts to brown.
• Stir in the chicken broth or white wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes then add the tomato sauce and hot sauce. Stir in the butter and taste for seasoning. Adjust as necessary.
• Cook for 5 more minutes, remove from heat and garnish with chopped parsley.
• Add the cornmeal and 1 cup of water to a cast iron pot. Place the pot over medium to low heat and whisk. This will ensure there will be no lumps. Let the mixture come to a boil and you'll notice it will start to thicken as the cornmeal absorbs the water. Add another cup of water at a time, whisk and wait until the water has been absorbed. Repeat until you've used 4 to 4 1/2 cups of water and the cornmeal is cooked and doesn't taste raw. You will need to whisk occasionally but there's no need to hover over the pot while it's cooking.
• Once the cornmeal is cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
• Serve by plating polenta, then topping it with the chicken and sausage stew.

CROCK POT CHICKEN RUSTICA

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart or larger slow cooker; stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
• Serve over pasta or rice.

SPICY CHICKEN RUSTICA ON RAVIOLI AND ARUGULA

Steps:

• At medium high heat, saute onion, peppers and garlic in 4 Tbsps. of the olive oil until slightly tender. Add chicken pieces. Saute until chicken is no longer pink. Add sundried tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes longer. Turn temperature down to medium low. Add tomato sauce, salt, black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes so that flavors blend well. Add fresh basil last 2 minutes of simmering.
• Cook ravioli as per instructions on the package.
• Heat saute (fry) pan to high and take off of the fire. Pour last 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan after it has a cooled for a minute. Add the arugula and stir until slightly cooked (to prevent over cooking like spinach).
• Serve the sauce over ravioli with a few "piles" of Argula around the outside for a decorative look -- .A fresh basil leaf on top is a nice touch.