1 Ranger® the Free Range Chicken, broken down into pieces or 2 pounds Ranger the Free Range Chicken bone in, skin on chicken thighs
1 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced in ¼ inch slices
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 – 28 ounce can no salt added crushed tomatoes
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
olive oil, as needed
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped, for garnish
For the Polenta:
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for garnishing
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Directions
Step 1
Heat the chicken broth and dried porcini mushrooms in a small saucepan over medium heat until it simmers. Turn the heat off and allow the mushrooms to steep in the broth until needed.
Step 2
Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large, deep sided skillet on medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering and hot carefully lay the chicken, skin side down, in the pan. Allow it to cook, undisturbed, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl.
Step 3
Drain the fat from the pan so that you are left with approximately 1 tablespoon and place it over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they are caramelized, approximately 4 minutes.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and bell peppers, cooking for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened a bit.
Step 5
Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any fond (browned bits) off of the bottom. Once the wine has reduced by half, stir in the crushed tomatoes along with the crushed red pepper flakes and dried oregano.
Step 6
Remove the rehydrated porcini mushrooms from the broth and give them a rough chop. Transfer them to the pan along with the broth, stir, then nestle in the chicken pieces, skin side up. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat until it is gently simmering and cook for 25 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by at least 1/3. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Step 7
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Step 8
While the chicken is cooking make the polenta: Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Step 9
While continuously whisking, add the polenta along with about 2 teaspoons of salt to the broth. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered, for 25-30 minutes, until the polenta is cooked through.
Step 10
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and parmigiano cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Garnish with the chives.
