Roast Chicken Breast With Polenta And Cherry Tomatoes 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 BREASTS WITH CARAMELIZED LEMONS, CHERRY TOMATOES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Thoroughly pat the chicken very dry and sprinkle with the salt. Place skin-side down in the skillet and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Flip the chicken over. Add the lemon halves, olives, tomatoes and thyme to the skillet and transfer to the oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH JAMMY TOMATOES AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Smash all the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel them. Finely grate one garlic clove and put it in a small bowl. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, paprika, oregano, brown sugar (if using) and cumin. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.
• Add tomatoes and remaining smashed, peeled garlic cloves to baking sheet, spreading them out around the chicken. Season tomatoes lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Scatter pancetta on top.
• Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. After 15 minutes, stir the tomatoes and pancetta, but don't disturb the chicken.
• Transfer chicken to plates. Stir the tomatoes and pancetta around in the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides, and stir in the herbs and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt, if needed, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if you like. Spoon tomatoes, garlic and pancetta over the chicken to serve.

LEMON AND GARLIC CHICKEN WITH CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut each chicken breast into 2 equal pieces (3 if they weigh 12 ounces or more) and place in the bowl. Stir together and refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels (discard marinade). Place two sheets of plastic wrap (1 large sheet if you have extra-wide wrap) on your work surface, overlapping slightly, to make 1 wide sheet, and brush lightly with olive oil. Place a piece of chicken in the middle of plastic sheet and brush lightly with oil. Cover the chicken with another wide layer of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the outside, pound chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until about 1/4 inch thick. (Don't pound too hard or you'll tear the meat. If that happens it won't be the end of the world, you'll just have a few pieces to cook.) Repeat with the remaining chicken breast pieces.
• Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper on one side only. Dredge lightly in the flour (you will not use all of it) and tap the breasts to remove excess.
• Turn oven on low. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, place one or two pieces of chicken in the pan - however many will fit without crowding. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until bottom is browned in spots. Turn over and brown other side, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not overcook or chicken will be dry.) Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat in the pan, pour some off into a jar or bowl.
• Turn heat on burner down to medium-high. Add wine to pan and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring often or tossing in the pan, until they begin to shrivel and burst. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook, tossing the tomatoes in the pan and stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have collapsed but are still intact. Top chicken breasts with the tomatoes, sprinkle with parsley and with Parmesan if using, and serve.

BAKED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, CHERRY TOMATOES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Pull any lumps of fat off the chicken and discard. In a bowl, combine chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the chiles. Mix and set aside, at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a large ovenproof skillet with a lid, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Toss and spread out evenly in the pan. Arrange chicken pieces on top, skin-side up. Add the wine, pouring along the edges of the pan, and place basil sprigs on top. Cover tightly, and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the oven and turn the oven temperature to 475 degrees. (Use the convection feature if you have it.) Or heat the broiler and arrange oven rack about 8 inches from the heat. Return uncovered pan to oven and cook until chicken skin is browned, cooking liquid is reduced and vegetables are very soft, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Discard basil sprigs. Garnish with shredded basil and serve immediately.