February 5th, 2022: Herb & Miso Chicken With Creamy Polenta (New Zealand)

“Next on our exploration of chicken dishes the world over, the randomizer selected New Zealand so we will be making Herb & Miso Chicken With Creamy Polenta which we found on a New Zealand chicken dish list.

The randomizer choosing New Zealand had me underwhelmed. The dishes were largely Western with a few thst had some Eastern influence. We selected this one because it promised a blend of East and West.

ou start by crusting the chicken with a paste made from miso, chives and rosemary salt and pepper. The chicken is surrounded by a quartered onion, a bulb of garlic, and sliced lemons. Chicken stock and white wine finish the prep. It bakes in the 200c oven for almost an hour before being covered. For the last 10 minutes or so.

To make the polenta, I buzzed the corn meal in a blender and passed it through a fine sieve and made it with chicken stock, a little bacon fat, a little butter and Parmesan cheese.

The chicken is served on the polenta with some onion and garlic, and finished with chopped chives.

The meal was lovely, we both finished every bite, although the flavors were very mild. It reminded me of the subtlety of Japanese cooking.

I think that it could be improved if the miso paste was in the sauce and if the sauce would be blitzed and reduced. Then I think the flavors would meld better and be more intense. We’ll try that next time.”

Chef Chasan Recipe Notes

• Cook Time: 1-hour
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/4 c. miso paste
• 2 T. rosemary, chopped
• 1 T. chives, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in quarters
• 1 bulb garlic, halved
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 c. chicken bone stock
• 1 c. white wine
• 200 g. polenta
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 c. grated parmesdan
• Garnish: 1 T. chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat and oven to 180C/356F.
2. Wash and dry the chicken. Place it on a lined roasting dish of a size that will have the chicken surrounded by the juices. In a small bowl mix the miso, rosemary and chives. Smooth over the chicken skin. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Around the chicken place the onion, garlic, lemon, stock and wine. Place into the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour until the juices run clear. Cover if the chicken is getting too brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Cook the polenta according to the packet instruction. To this add the butter and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place the hot polenta on a serving dish. Using two forks pull the chicken apart and place onto the polenta along with the juices, onion, garlic and lemon wedges.