Ciao Tutti!
This week we’re heading to the northern region of ✨ Veneto ✨ , home to “the floating city” and star-crossed lovers, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The landscape of Veneto is dramatic, from snow-peaked mountains surrounded by stunning views to the sea. The cuisine is equally as varied in these regions, but polenta is a staple throughout.
This week I learned to make a delicious, savoury, mouth-watering chicken recipe served on top of oven-baked polenta. The flavours of the tomatoes, herbs, and white wine will fill your home and your stomach, leaving you wanting more!
Grab an Aperol spritz and get cooking. Cheers!
FOR THE POLENTA
Ingredienti
6 cups of water
2 cups of corn meal
1 tsp salt
Ricetta
Bring water to a boil and add the salt. Add the corn meal slowly and whisk continuously until thick. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring with a spatula and scraping the sides of the pan.
Pour polenta onto a dish (preferably oval). Let stand until cooled and set.
Slice polenta into strips. Place strips on a butter-greased baking sheet and place under the broiler until browned on each side.
FOR THE CHICKEN
Ingredienti
chicken thighs and legs (traditional recipe calls for skin-on and bone in)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion thinly sliced
2 whole garlic cloves
4 tbsp of canned tomatoes
1/3 cup of white wine
1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
3 fresh sage leaves
small bunch of parsley
2 sprigs of fresh or dried rosemary
Ricetta
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium. Add chicken and garlic. Brown all sides.
Add thinly sliced onions and cook until soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Turn heat to high, add white wine and let it evaporate for approximately 1 minute. Turn heat back down to medium. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, and herbs and mix. Let cook for 2-3 minutes and place in the oven until cooked through, approximately 20 minutes.
Serve with polenta!
TADA!!!
BONUS RECIPE: Aperol Spritz
Walk through any northern Italian city or town and you will see groups of people sipping on an aperol spritz. Perfect for pre-dinner sipping, this refreshing cocktail is a perfect aperitivo to this chicken and polenta dish.
2 ounces of aperol
3 ounces of prosecco
1 ounce of club soda
ice
orange slice for garnish
GET IN TOUCH:
Let me know if you try these recipes and how you enjoy them. Or, if you have your own twist on these classic Sicilian dishes, leave a comment below, and I will be sure to try them!
And be sure to send me pictures of you making these recipes on Instagram @ciao.tuttii or Twitter @crismackenziee :)