Guinea Hen Breast Chanterelles And Polenta Food

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 BREASTS WITH ROSEMARY AND CHANTERELLES AND ROASTED GARLIC POTATOES

Steps:

• To make potatoes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a roasting pan in the oven for 5 minutes to preheat. In a mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, garlic, and olive oil and stir to coat the potatoes and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to the roasting pan and roast, stirring occasionally until potatoes are soft when pierced with the tip of a knife and the garlic cloves are very soft and sweet in flavor, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm.
• To make mushrooms: In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute longer. Add the mushrooms and thyme. Cover the pan and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have released their juices. If the mushrooms seem dry during cooking, add about 1/4 cup of the chicken stock.
• When the mushrooms are soft, add the rest of the chicken stock, raise the heat to high, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. There will be quite a bit of liquid in the mushrooms. Remove them from the heat, cover, and set side to keep warm.
• To make the chicken:
• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the pan, skin side down. Cook for about 6 minutes, until golden brown. Turn and cook until the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 6 more minutes. Add the rosemary and cook, basting frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned. Transfer to a serving platter and set it aside, covered, to keep warm.
• Pour off any oil in the pan and add the wine and Cognac. Raise the heat to high and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and cook until the sauce is reduced nearly by half or thickened and richly flavored, about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Season with the chives, salt, and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve, passing the mushrooms and potatoes on the side.

ROAST GUINEA HEN

Steps:

• Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place the guinea hen in a large, deep bowl, pour the marinade over and inside the hen, cover the bowl, and marinate, refrigerated, overnight, turning occasionally to ensure that all parts of the bird are covered.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the hen from the marinade. Reserve the marinade. Put the hen in a roasting pan and brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the hen breastside down in the pan and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the hen onto its back, decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees, and roast for 1 hour. While the hen is roasting, place the reserved marinade in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and reduce to approximately 1/4 cup. When the hen has 15 minutes left to cook, pour the reduced marinade over the hen and return it to the oven for its final 15 minutes of cooking. Remove from the oven, and let the hen rest for 10 or 15 minutes before dividing into serving portions.

GRILLED POLENTA WITH CHANTERELLES

Steps:

• Make the polenta according to the directions on the package. When it is cooked pour it into a pan about eight inches square and cool.
• When the polenta has cooled, cut it into eight slices about two inches wide and four inches long. Brush the polenta on both sides with one tablespoon olive oil and place the slices on an oiled broiling rack. Set aside.
• Cut the base off the stems of the chanterelles. If the mushrooms are very gritty, rinse them quickly under cold running water and pat them dry. Otherwise, clean them with a soft paint or pastry brush. Cut the large mushrooms into bite-size pieces; leave the smaller ones whole.
• Preheat broiler. In a skillet, soften the garlic with the shallots in the remaining olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Stir in the thyme and parsley and keep warm.
• Grill the polenta for three to four minutes on each side, until golden.
• Arrange the polenta pieces on four serving plates and top them with the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.