Chicken With Prosciutto And Tomatoes Over Polenta Food

CRISP ITALIAN CHICKEN & POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Using your fingers, roughly break up the polenta into small chunks and scatter in the bottom of a small roasting tin. Tip in the parmesan and mix. Sit the chicken breasts, cherry tomatoes, rosemary and garlic on top of the polenta, drizzle with olive oil, then season to taste.
• Roast for 25 mins until the chicken skin is crisp and golden, and the polenta and cheese are turning crusty around the edges. Serve with a green salad.

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.

HERB AND TOMATO POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to blister and release some of their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook another 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
• In a saucepan over low heat, stir the Parmesan and butter into the Cooked Polenta, thinning with milk as desired. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary.
• Transfer the polenta to a serving bowl. Use a spoon to create a shallow well and top with the tomatoes, torn basil, some black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, add the baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pour the cornmeal into the water in a very slow stream from a measuring cup, all the while whisking in a circular motion to prevent lumps.
• Cook, vigorously stirring the polenta with a wooden spoon for about 10 seconds once every 5 minutes and making sure to scrape clean the bottom and corners of the pot, until the polenta has lost its raw cornmeal taste and becomes soft and smooth, about 30 minutes. If the polenta looks like it's drying out too quickly, continue cooking with the lid on. Cooked Polenta recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CRISP PROSCIUTTO & TOMATOES

Steps:

• Mix the butter in a bowl with half the garlic. Get everything in bowls or on plates ready to take outside. Light the barbie.
• Heat a sturdy roasting tin on the barbie rack, in the oil to coat the tin's base. Lay in the prosciutto and crisp on both sides. Set it aside.
• Season the chicken and brown on both sides in the tin. Stir in the rest of the chopped garlic, and add the chopped tomatoes, stock and oregano. Simmer for 3 minutes, turn the breasts over and simmer for a further 3 minutes.
• Tip in the cannellini beans, turn the chicken over and simmer for another 3 minutes, then turn again and simmer for 3 minutes more. Now taste the sauce and add a little seasoning if you think it's needed.
• Towards the end of the chicken's cooking, toast the ciabatta on both sides on the barbie - you may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your barbie.
• Toss the tomatoes and chopped basil into the chicken mix. Let the tomatoes soften slightly, then top with the crisp prosciutto and scatter over the whole basil leaves. Spread the garlic butter on the ciabatta and arrange butter-side up around the edge of the chicken, or put the bowl of garlic butter on the table for guests to spread their own. Serve hot, with mixed leaf salad.

BAKED POLENTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• To prepare the tomato sauce:
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the tomatoes, yellow onion, and garlic in a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft and the skin is peeling away from the tomatoes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Remove the skin from the tomatoes and put in a saucepan. Squeeze the garlic out of the bulb and into the tomatoes. Remove the skin from the onion. Coarsely chop the onion and add to the tomatoes.
• Add the olive oil to the tomatoes and puree with a handheld immersion blender until smooth. You may need to add up to 1/3 cup water if there is not enough liquid. Season with salt. Warm the tomato sauce just prior to use.
• To prepare the polenta:
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a simmer and stream in the polenta. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Cover with a lid and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Be careful when you go to stir the polenta-it tends to spit out pieces of the cornmeal, which is very hot. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in the olive oil and basil. Drop in teaspoon-size pieces of the ricotta cheese. Pour the polenta into an 8-inch square baking pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and let sit for 1 hour or until the polenta has firmed up. Bake the polenta in the oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Cut the polenta into 8 equal pieces.
• To serve:
• Place 1/2 cup warm tomato sauce in 4 shallow bowls and top with two pieces of the polenta. Sprinkle with the chopped basil.

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the garlic and sage on the chicken cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Wrap 2 or 3 slices prosciutto around each cutlet.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken and cook, flipping once, until the prosciutto is golden brown and slightly crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Meanwhile, whisk half of the lemon juice, the mustard, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil until smooth. Add the lettuce and tomatoes; toss to coat.
• Add the chicken broth and the remaining lemon juice to the skillet; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the butter melts and the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the salad. Drizzle with the pan sauce.