I saw this recipe while doing a recipe search recently and decided I had to try it. I combined the polenta with this recipe (scroll down to the “Elegant Weeknight Dinner Menu”, kind of making a hybrid of the two. We all liked it a lot, but I didn’t prepare the garnish for it, which … Continue reading “Chicken with Polenta”
I saw this recipe while doing a recipe search recently and decided I had to try it. I combined the polenta with this recipe (scroll down to the “Elegant Weeknight Dinner Menu”, kind of making a hybrid of the two. We all liked it a lot, but I didn’t prepare the garnish for it, which was a mistake (it just looked very, um….yellow). From a flavor standpoint, it was great, it just looked naked without a little touch of green. Another option would be to add some chopped fresh spinach to the final stages of the corn relish to add a little color. I also made the polenta a little too thin, but it was still very yummy.
Here’s my slightly edited version:
Chicken with Polenta and Corn Relish, serves 4
(or serves 2 adults and 2 kids for dinner, with leftovers for Hubby’s lunch the next day)
For the chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
about 1 tsp. Baby Bam seasoning
For the corn topping:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 of a large Vidalia onion, diced
1/2 of a large red bell pepper, diced (you could also sub. peeled, seeded, diced tomatoes for this, if you can find nice, ripe ones)
1 and 1/2 cups corn kernels (I used frozen, but this would have been DELICIOUS with fresh)
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. of your favorite dried green herb (marjoram, basil, oregano or tarragon would all be good, but I used marjoram this time)
For the polenta:
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
3 cups chicken stock (you might not need it all)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. of whatever herb you used in the corn (above)
2/3 cup polenta (coarse ground yellow cornmeal)
1/2 cup grated cheese, preferably fontina or parmesan (I found some smoked fontina and it was YUMMY)
1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
Garnish:
4 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley or chives or thinly sliced fresh basil
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 and 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the garlic, the 1/4 tsp salt and the 1/8 tsp black pepper to a boil. While this is heating up, pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and then sprinkle them on both sides with the Baby Bam seasoning. Grill them until they are cooked through and nicely seared on the outside. Set them aside to rest. Keep an eye on the stock while the chicken cooks, and when it has come to a boil, stir in the cornmeal. Bring the heat down to a simmer and continue to cook it for about 30 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and polenta is tender and not “grainy” (you will need to taste it to be sure – add more chicken stock, if necessary). Continue to stir it occasionally as it cooks, to keep it from sticking to the bottom or forming lumps.
As the polenta cooks, start to prepare the corn relish:
Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a medium saute pan. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and saute about 5 more minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer 5 more minutes. Add the juice, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp ground red pepper, and the herb/s; simmer 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened and most of liquid has cooked off.
The polenta should be done by now – remove it from the heat and stir in the half-and-half, herb and cheese. Thinly slice each chicken breast.
To serve the dish:
Scoop some of the polenta on each plate (or you could serve it in a shallow bowl). Fan out a chicken breast on top of each portion. Top with some of the corn relish and sprinkle with the parsley or chives.
Serve this with a green vegetable or salad, served on a separate plate.
