This stewy chicken dish takes inspiration from chicken cacciatore. Braised boneless, skinless chicken thighs are quickly braised to a tender, shreddable consistency in this easy weeknight meal.
These days, polenta is usually made from yellow cornmeal. Cornmeal is made from dent corn – also known as field corn, which is different from the sweet corn you eat. It’s higher in starch and lower in sugar. Because polenta is made from dried, ground corn, it’s gluten-free.
It’s often prepared as a porridge-like dish similar to grits, made by cooking cornmeal in water over low heat. It needs to be stirred often and cooked slowly. It can be made from finely ground or coarse ground cornmeal. In some countries, polenta is made from white or red cornmeal.
Instant – or “quick” polenta – is pre-processed so that the cooking time is shorter. Some people say it doesn’t taste as good as regular polenta. You can also find ready-made polenta that’s fully cooked. It’s often served with various foods like meats, fish, and vegetables. We chose to switch the instant polenta to regular corn grits polenta.
An easy way to shred the cooked chicken is with two large serving forks.
Braised Chicken and Mushrooms over Polenta
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 1⁄2 tsp. pepper
- 1 3⁄4 tsp. table salt, divided
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth, divided (1⁄2 cup for chicken; 1⁄2 for polenta)
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup polenta
Directions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate.
- Add chicken to fat left in pot and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
- Add mushrooms, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt to now-empty pot and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, ½ cup broth, and paprika and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken to pot; reduce heat to medium; cover; and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat registers 195 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and shred into bite-size pieces. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then stir chicken and bacon back into sauce.
- Polenta: packaged directions for regular corn grits polenta. Or for Instant Polenta: bring milk and remaining 3½ cups broth to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve.
Recipe for Milk Street by Dimitri Demopolous
Accounting for Taste 