Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage

Ever since blowing a significant wad of dough on my Le Creuset Dutch oven last year, I've been looking for any excuse to use it. Flipping through Mario Batali's cookbook Molto Italiano, I found a recipe for Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage. Talk about comfort food, and definitely a dish for my flame-coloured beauty.

This was my first time making polenta, and in all honesty I'm not sure I'm a fan. It was nice in the stew but on its own it was a bit bland. Next time I may use half chicken stock, half water instead of all water to give it a bit more flavour. Still, I realize it's supposed to be the starch here and not overpower the other flavours.

On the other hand, I am loving celery root! I've used it in a number of recipes lately and I love its texture and flavour. And as Mario notes, this stew reheats well, so it's nice to make on a Sunday and then have it Monday night when you've come home from work and are in no mood to cook. My favourite kind of recipe.

Chicken Stew with Polenta, Celery Root and Sage

Makes 4 servings

5 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking polenta or fine cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3.5 to 4 lb chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces, rinsed, and patted dry
4 ounces chicken livers
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large celery root, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups Barbaresco or other fruity red wine
1 cup basic tomato sauce
8 fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp parsley, chiffonade
1 tbsp lemon zest

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pull the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta is as thick as molten lava. Pour into an 8-by-10-inch baking pan and allow to cool.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and spread on a plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, then dredge the chicken livers in the flour. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Brown the chicken pieces in two batches, then transfer to a plate. Add the livers, onion, and celery root to the pot and cook until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Add the wine, tomato sauce, and sage and return the chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the thighs are nearly cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the polenta into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the polenta to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, place on platter, sprinkle with parsley and zest, and serve immediately.

Courtesy Molto Italiano, Mario Batali, HarperCollins, 2005

Comments? Email plumtartblog@gmail.com

Mushroom tortelloni, the easy way

I'm all about making weeknight dinners easier on myself but not at the expense of a quality meal. Microwave dinners are a thing of the past -- truthfully I can't believe I ever ate that crap, but in college you do what you gotta do. However, there are some decent cheats to be found at your local grocery store, if you don't mind taking the time to finish the recipe off with quality ingredients.



Take, for example, the refrigerated fresh President's Choice pasta: recently I bought a package of PC Porcini Mushroom Tortelloni. Because it's fresh it only takes a couple of minutes to cook in boiling water, which means you can spend a bit of extra time dressing the dish up (and I'm talking 15, 20 minutes max).

I sauteed two cloves of garlic in butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then added about 1.5 cups of chopped cremini mushrooms, along with some salt and pepper. I sauteed those down, deglazing with a bit of white wine, and then put them off to the side. Once the pasta was cooked, I added a bit more butter to my skillet, browned it, then added some fresh sage leaves. Once the sage leaves had become fragrant I added the cooked and drained pasta in to the skillet along with the cooked mushroom mixture and mixed everything together, with a bit more salt and pepper. For an added health kick I tossed in about 1.5 cups of baby spinach leaves and let them wilt down. Spoon the mixture onto a plate or bowl (I prefer a bowl for pasta), grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top, and you're done.

No pasta machine required!

Salut!

Suzanne

Comments, email suzannekathrynellis@gmail.com.