Roasted Chicken With Polenta And Kale Chips Recipes

STINKY POLENTA, ROAST CHICKEN, CRISPY KALE, RED WINE BALSAMIC DEMI

Steps:

• For the roast chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Put a cast-iron pan over high heat until hot. Coat the pan with olive oil, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin is crispy, about 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet fitted with a rack. Roast until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes depending on size.
• For the red wine balsamic demi: In a saucepan over high heat, add a little olive oil. Add the thyme, bay leaves, carrots, celery and onions and sweat the vegetables about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the red wine, then add the balsamic and dark chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Add the tomato paste and reduce to a simmer. Add the sugar and simmer to reduce the sauce to a glaze consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and reserve.
• For the stinky polenta: Bring the dark chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan. Using a whisk, slowly incorporate the polenta into the stock, stirring vigorously. When fully incorporated, lower the heat to simmer. Cook, stirring frequently to make sure the polenta doesn't burn, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
• For the crispy kale: Pour enough canola oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to come about a third of the way up. Heat the oil until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 325 degrees F.
• Add the julienned kale to the oil and fry about 2 minutes; the kale should still be very green and crisp, not brown at all. Drain on paper towels and set aside for garnish.
• To finish the polenta: Add the butter, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano, mascarpone and additional water or the chicken cooking juices if needed. Finish with the white truffle oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
• To plate, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the glaze into 5 wide bowls. Put some polenta on top. Slice each chicken breast and put on top of the polenta. Garnish with crispy kale and serve.

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-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.

PARMESAN KALE CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• With a sharp knife, remove and discard the hard rib from the center of each leaf, leaving the leaves as intact as possible. Place them on the sheet pans, drizzle or brush them with olive oil, and toss to coat lightly. Sprinkle generously with salt and bake for 10 minutes, until crispy. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese and bake for another 5 minutes. Cool and serve.