Chicken Thighs With Polenta Recipes

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.

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.

ITALIAN BARBECUED CHICKEN WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning, and grill seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the chicken a few minutes on each side to put some of it's flavor and drippings into the pan then transfer to oven and roast 15 minutes more or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, add 1 more tablespoon olive oil to the pan and cook pancetta or bacon, if using, until crisp. Add onions, garlic and rosemary, cook 5 minutes then add the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer 5 minutes more.
• Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and milk to a boil, whisk in polenta and season with salt and pepper. Whisk polenta 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens, stir in butter and cheese, remove from heat.
• Remove chicken from oven and turn in barbecue sauce. Fill shallow bowls with polenta Top with chicken, spoon extra sauce over chicken and garnish with some torn basil leaves.

POLENTA-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH CORNBREAD

Steps:

• If you have time, soak the chicken in the buttermilk (not regular milk) overnight. To make the cornbread, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin, or a special cornbread tin if you have one. Tip the dry ingredients into a bowl and separately beat the eggs with the buttermilk or yogurt. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together to make a batter. Divide the batter between the holes and bake for 20 mins until puffed up. Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool.
• Put a rack in a roasting tin in the oven. Tip the polenta, flour and spices into a food bag with a generous pinch of salt and some pepper. Dip the chicken into the buttermilk, add a few pieces to the bag and shake to coat in the flour mixture, then place on a plate. Heat a decent puddle of oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden and crispy. When all the chicken has been fried, place it on the rack and bake for 30 mins until completely cooked through. Serve with the cornbread and some coleslaw.

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Arrange the bacon on a broiler pan and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Alternatively, cook the bacon in the microwave.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the butter to the skillet to melt. Add the apples, onion, thyme and sage. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Cook until the apples are crisp-tender, 5-6 minutes. Stir in about 1/2 cup chicken stock, the apple cider, and the apple brandy. Add the chicken, coat with the sauce, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups stock and the milk to a boil. Whisk in the polenta and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheese until melted.
• Serve on rimmed plates and top with the chicken, apples, onion, and crisscrossed slices of bacon.