“My wife and I shared a wonderful meal at Melbourne’s Bistro Vue. Would you be able to get the roast chicken with polenta recipe so I can surprise her by cooking it at home?”
Graham Thompson, South Yarra, Vic
To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, , GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email us. All requests should include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.
Ingredients
Mushroom stock
Persillade
Polenta
Method
Main
1.Preheat oven to 140C. Cut legs from chicken and set aside. Cut neck, wishbone and wingtips and discard. Remove backbone with poultry scissors and discard, leaving just the breast on the bone. Starting at the neck end, separate skin from breast with your fingertips, then refrigerate until required.
2.Heat fat in a large casserole over medium heat to 120C. Season chicken legs with sea salt, add to casserole, cover with foil and lid, then cook in oven, turning occasionally, until meat starts to fall from the bone (1-1½ hours). Remove from oven, cool to room temperature, then remove legs from fat and refrigerate until required. (Fat can be strained through a fine sieve and refrigerated for another use.)
3.Meanwhile, for mushroom stock, combine ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer until infused (1½ hours). Strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan (discard solids), simmer over medium heat until reduced by two-thirds (20-25 minutes), set aside.
4.Increase oven to 180C. For persillade, process ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Carefully push persillade underneath skin of chicken breast, ensuring it’s evenly distributed, then rub butter over skin and season to taste. Place on an oven tray and roast until cooked through (50 minutes-1 hour; cover with foil if browning too quickly). Transfer to a wire rack, cover with foil and set aside to rest in a warm place.
5.Meanwhile, for polenta, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add onion and sauté until tender (7-10 minutes). Add polenta, then wine, whisking continuously until wine is evaporated (1-2 minutes). Add half the stock, whisking continuously, until absorbed, then add remaining stock, whisking continuously until polenta is tender (20-30 minutes; add more stock if necessary). Add cheese and butter, season to taste, set aside, keep warm.
6.Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add chicken legs, season to taste and cook, turning once, until golden and warmed through (5-7 minutes each side). Place on a wire rack with chicken breast, cover with foil and keep warm.
7.Heat mushroom stock over medium heat, add cream and bring to the boil, whisking continuously for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and season to taste.
8.To serve, remove chicken breast from bone, cut into even pieces. Divide polenta among bowls, top with chicken pieces, season to taste, drizzle with mushroom sauce and serve hot.
Duck and goose fat are available from Simon Johnson and select delicatessens.
This recipe is from the June 2010 issue of
.
Notes
