Recipe
Wine-Braised Chicken w/ Leeks & Chanterelle Mushrooms on Polenta
When talking about "Great Everyday Meals", what words come to mind? Is it easy, fast, and inexpensive? What about elegant, gourmet, and restaurant-style? I bet the latter words don't usually pop into your head when creating everyday meals for your family...but why not?
This meal sounds so complex, doesn't it? But look at it closer. Polenta is nothing more than yellow cornmeal, cooked into a thick delicious porridge, mostly used in Italian cooking. Oh, and it's super cheap too!
Leeks are those giant green onion looking things you've passed thousands of times at the grocery store. It is in the same family and tastes very much like onions, only a little sweeter. And chanterelle's are simply mushrooms, mostly grown in the wild. The ones I used in this recipe comes from St. Joseph, Minnesota to be exact. These were Yellowfoot Chanterelles and are usually in season from December through February. I got them just as the season was ending. They are great for sauteing, are hearty and awesome in this dish!
Sometimes, when you're feeling adventurous, take a look at your typical everyday ingredients, try their "gourmet" counterparts and give it a whirl. You'll be surprised to find out that you can cook these ingredients just as well (and as easily), as you do their cousins. :)
- Wine-Braised Chicken w/ Leeks & Chanterelle Mushrooms:
- 1.5 lbs of Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika
- 2 cups of Sliced Leeks (about 4 stalks – DO NOT use the leafy parts, only the ends)
- 4 oz of Wild Chanterelle Mushrooms – roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup of white wine
- 1/4 cup of chicken stock
- Creamy Polenta:
- 1.5 cups of polenta – yellow cornmeal
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 3 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
Wine-Braised Chicken w/ Leeks & Chanterelle Mushrooms
Heat a large saute pan with olive oil in medium-high heat.
Season the chicken thighs with salt, ground black pepper and paprika. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides for about 3-4 minutes on each side, and set aside.
In the same pan, add the leeks and saute for about 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the chanterelle mushrooms and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add the white wine and chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add a small pinch of salt about 1/4 teaspoon and taste for seasoning.
Return the browned chicken thighs in the pan, turn the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pan. Let some of the liquid evaporate, about 5-10 minutes and make sure the chicken is cooked all the way through and serve over hot polenta.
Bring the milk and water to a boil in a large sauce pot with salt and pepper.
After it comes to a boil, slowly add the corn meal, whisking it to make sure the corn meal doesn’t have any lumps.
Continue to stir for about 15-20 minutes, until the corn meal is tender. Taste for flavor. If the consistency is too thick, add some more water; about 1/4 cup at a time.
Add the butter and Parmesan cheese and stir gently. Serve
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