Happy New Year! Our unseasonably warm weather seems to have left with 2015, and colder temperatures are here to stay for a while. This recipe for Chicken Agrodolce with Creamy Polenta from Cooking Light’s December 2015 issue is great for cold nights — it’s comforting without being too heavy.
Agrodolce means “sweet and sour” in Italian. In this recipe, the golden raisins provide the sweetness while the red wine vinegar adds a touch of sour flavor to the sauce. The chicken thighs are simmered in the sauce and served with a creamy polenta to soak up the flavors.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
- 2 1/3 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 (6-ounce) bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ounce pitted green olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Begin by making your polenta. Add 3 cups milk, 1/3 cup chicken stock, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
When simmering, stir in the cornmeal with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until creamy and thickened, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
While the polenta is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the oil, swirling to coat. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Add the chicken to the pan skin side down and cook for 5 minutes or until browned.
Turn the chicken over and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups chicken stock, golden raisins, vinegar, and olives and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 3 more minutes or until the liquid slightly thickens.
To serve, divide the polenta evenly among 4 plates. Top with chicken thighs and sauce and sprinkle with parsley.
My fiance really loved this recipe. The mixture of sweet and sour with a bit of saltiness from the olives was a winning combination!
Polenta is great with this recipe because it absorbs the sauce, giving it more flavor. The chicken stays really tender from cooking in liquid too!
Ingredients
- 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
- 2 1/3 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2/3 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 (6-ounce) bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ounce pitted green olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Begin by making your polenta. Add 3 cups milk, 1/3 cup chicken stock, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- When simmering, stir in the cornmeal with a whisk. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until creamy and thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- While the polenta is cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the oil, swirling to coat. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Add the chicken to the pan skin side down and cook for 5 minutes or until browned.
- Turn the chicken over and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups chicken stock, golden raisins, vinegar, and olives and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 3 more minutes or until the liquid slightly thickens.
- To serve, divide the polenta evenly among 4 plates. Top with chicken thighs and sauce and sprinkle with parsley.
