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Chicken Cacciatore with Parmesan Polenta
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 MINS
Cook Time: 40 MINS
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Ingredients
| 1 | RANGER® Free Range Whole Chicken or RANGER® Free Range Chicken Thighs |
| 3 1/2 cups | low sodium chicken broth |
| 1 oz. | dried porcini mushrooms |
| 1 lb. | shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced in ¼ inch slices |
| 1 medium | yellow onion, diced |
| 1 | red bell pepper, julienned |
| 1 | yellow bell pepper, julienned |
| 1/2 cup | dry white wine |
| 1 can | (28-oz.) no salt added crushed tomatoes |
| 1/2 - 1 tsp. | crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste |
| 1 tsp. | dried oregano |
| 1/2 cup | polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal) |
| 1 tbsp. | unsalted butter |
| 1/4 cup | grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for garnishing |
| 2 tbsp. | fresh chives, chopped |
| kosher salt, to taste | |
| freshly ground black pepper, to taste | |
| fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped, for garnish |
Directions
| Step one |
| Break down whole chicken into pieces. Heat the 1 cup chicken broth and dried porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Turn the heat off and allow the mushrooms to steep in the broth until needed. |
| Step two |
| Pour 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a large, deep sided skillet on medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering and hot carefully lay the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Allow it to cook, undisturbed, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl. |
| Step three |
| Drain the fat from the pan so that you are left with approximately 1 tbsp. and place it over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are caramelized, approximately 4 minutes. |
| Step four |
| Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and bell peppers, cooking for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened a bit. |
| Step five |
| Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any fond (browned bits) off of the bottom. Once the wine has reduced by half, stir in the crushed tomatoes along with the crushed red pepper flakes and dried oregano. |
| Step six |
| Remove the rehydrated porcini mushrooms from the broth and give them a rough chop. Transfer them to the pan along with the broth, stir, then nestle in the chicken pieces, skin side up. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat until it is gently simmering and cook for 25 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by at least 1/3. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired. |
| Step seven |
| While the chicken is cooking make the polenta: Bring remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. |
| Step eight |
| While continuously whisking, add the polenta along with about 2 teaspoons of salt to the broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the polenta is cooked through. |
| Step nine |
| Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and parmigiano cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the chives. |
