Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Olives & EVOO with a side of Leek & Point Reyes Blue Cheese Polenta
Ingredients
- Roasted Chicken with Lemon Olives & EVOO
- 1 pound five - 6 roasting chicken cut up
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemons - one sliced thin one juiced for about 1 1/2 of juice
- 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio or similarly crisp white wine
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- 8 cloves of garlic sliced in half
- 1 2-3 " sprig of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup pitted olives such as Kalamata, Picholine, and or Gordal
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Leek & Point Reyes Blue Cheese Polenta
- 1 cup polenta
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons Robust Cobrancosa
- 2 in large leeks washed, white portion sliced thin to rounds
- 1/3 cup best quality blue cheese crumbled
- 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
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Roasted Chicken with Lemon, Olives & EVOO
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Preheat the oven to 375.
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Wash the chicken and pat dry.
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Season both sides with salt and pepper.
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Arrange the chicken in single layer in a large roasting pan with the larger pieces on the outside and smaller pieces in.
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In a blender or food processor, add the wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, one garlic clove, and Manzanillo olive oil.
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Blend until smooth.
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Pour the liquid over the chicken in the pan, making sure to drizzle over each piece of chicken Arrange the sliced garlic, lemon slices and olives around the chicken pieces.
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Sprinkle with thyme leaves and additional pepper if desired.
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Roast for 30-35 minutes until chicken is golden brown or until a digital thermometer inserted in to the middle of the thickest piece of chicken registers 165 degrees.
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Optionally, separate the fat from the pan juice, reserving the garlic and olives for plating. Reduce by half in a small pan over medium heat.
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Plate the chicken over the polenta drizzled with the pan reduction, reserved garlic and olives.
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Leek & Point Reyes Blue Cheese Polenta
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While the chicken is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of Cobrancosa over medium high heat, in a 3-4 quart sauté pan.
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Sauté leeks in Cobrancosa for 6-8 minutes, until tender.
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Increase heat, add four cups of chicken broth to the sautéed leeks and bring to a boil.
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Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
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Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
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Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
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Turn off the heat.
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Add the second tablespoon of Cobrancosa, and the blue cheese and stir until melted.
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Adjust seasoning and serve with pan juices from the roasted chicken.
