Name: Chicken Canzanese
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 ounces prosciutto (1/4 inch thick), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see note); 6 medium garlic cloves, sliced thin lengthwise; 6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and skin; Ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour; 2 cups dry white wine; 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 4 whole cloves; 1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced fine (about 1/2 teaspoon), stem reserved; 12 whole fresh sage leaves (if your sage leaves are small, use 15 instead of 12); 2 bay leaves; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Kosher salt, to taste

Description

Ingredients

Units

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp heavy cream
super tiny pinch of baking powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp stone ground polenta/grits
2 small cloves of garlic, finely minced (or about 1/2 tsp granulated garlic)
2 to 3 tbsp butter
1 to 2 rosemary leaves, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish (optional)
squirt of lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring the water, chicken stock, parsley, seasonings, and baking powder to a boil.
Add the polenta/grits and immediately bring the heat down to low, while stirring frequently to avoid the mixture from clumping together. Keep stirring until the simmer settles a bit, then cover. Add the garlic and allow the polenta to cook over low heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the heavy cream and allow to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as necessary and continue to cook over low heat for about 5 minutes longer or until polenta is no longer gritty. The consistency should be thick but creamy, not too runny or wet. Add the butter and cheese just before serving with the Chicken Canzanese. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a squirt of lemon juice if you’d like.

Notes

Adding a very tiny pinch of baking powder breaks down the structure of the polenta so that it cooks a lot faster.

If at any point your polenta soaks up the liquid faster than it’s being cooked, just add a little more water, chicken stock or cream to loosen it.

Nutrition

Serving Size: about 1 cup per serving