Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Grilled Polenta, Mushrooms and Parma Ham
As regular readers will know, I have been playing around with polenta for the first time recently an today I bring you the grilled version... This is a play on a Jamie Oliver recipe from his book "15 Minute Meals" and the flavours are honestly to die for.
There's a real Italian vibe to the dish with basil, fennel seeds, Parmesan, parma ham and balsamic vinegar all coming together to provide a real flavour punch. This dish is packed with umami (savoury) notes together with a hint of chilli which set the taste buds alight. Perfect for a dinner party or just when you want to fancy up your evening meal, I can't recommend this recipe enough.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Grilled Polenta, Mushrooms and Parma Ham
Serves 4
oil
500g ready-made polenta
250g asparagus
2 x 200g skinless chicken breasts
½ tbsp fennel seeds
20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 slices of parma ham
150g wild mushrooms
balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
10g dried porcini mushrooms
400g ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
½ a fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
For the sauce, put the porcini in a liquidizer/blender with 150ml of boiling water, the tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli, basil and garlic and blitz until smooth. Pour the tomato sauce into a medium pan over a high heat and boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cut the polenta into slices, rub with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of oil and place on the griddle pan, flipping over when charred. Remove to a plate and add the trimmed asparagus to the pan. Again, cook until lightly charred and then remove to the plate.
On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with salt, pepper, fennel seeds and finely grated Parmesan. Fold the paper over, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning after around 5 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Toss the mushrooms into the pan when you turn the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the chicken to a board to rest. Add the parma ham to the griddle pan and take off the heat. The residual heat in the pan will be enough to crisp it up.
Season the sauce to taste, pour on to a nice serving platter and top with the polenta slices and asparagus. Slice the chicken and arrange on top with the parma ham and mushrooms, then drizzle everything with balsamic vinegar and serve.
There's a real Italian vibe to the dish with basil, fennel seeds, Parmesan, parma ham and balsamic vinegar all coming together to provide a real flavour punch. This dish is packed with umami (savoury) notes together with a hint of chilli which set the taste buds alight. Perfect for a dinner party or just when you want to fancy up your evening meal, I can't recommend this recipe enough.
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Grilled Polenta, Mushrooms and Parma Ham
Serves 4
oil
500g ready-made polenta
250g asparagus
2 x 200g skinless chicken breasts
½ tbsp fennel seeds
20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 slices of parma ham
150g wild mushrooms
balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
10g dried porcini mushrooms
400g ripe vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
½ a fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
For the sauce, put the porcini in a liquidizer/blender with 150ml of boiling water, the tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli, basil and garlic and blitz until smooth. Pour the tomato sauce into a medium pan over a high heat and boil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cut the polenta into slices, rub with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of oil and place on the griddle pan, flipping over when charred. Remove to a plate and add the trimmed asparagus to the pan. Again, cook until lightly charred and then remove to the plate.
On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with salt, pepper, fennel seeds and finely grated Parmesan. Fold the paper over, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning after around 5 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Toss the mushrooms into the pan when you turn the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the chicken to a board to rest. Add the parma ham to the griddle pan and take off the heat. The residual heat in the pan will be enough to crisp it up.
Season the sauce to taste, pour on to a nice serving platter and top with the polenta slices and asparagus. Slice the chicken and arrange on top with the parma ham and mushrooms, then drizzle everything with balsamic vinegar and serve.
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