Chicken and Hot Sausage Stew with Polenta
A variety of peppers and hot sausage intensify the heat of this chicken stew, served over cheesy polenta.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- Flour, for dredging
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage with fennel
- 1 small bulb fresh fennel, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cubanelle pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 chili pepper, such as a Fresno pepper, thinly sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
- 1 can Italian tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 3 cups chicken stock, divided
- A few leaves of basil, torn
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup quick-cooking polenta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. Heat a few tablespoons EVOO over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken well, 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate, then add more EVOO and brown and crumble the sausage. Remove the sausage to a plate with the chicken.
Add the fennel, onion, peppers and garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Let soften, 5-7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, deglaze with the wine, then add the tomatoes and 2 cups stock, breaking up the tomatoes. Add the reserved sausage and chicken back to the pot, a few leaves of torn basil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally over low heat.
Bring the remaining cup of chicken stock and milk to a low boil in a saucepot. Whisk in the polenta and thicken for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the butter and the cheese.
Serve the polenta in bowls topped with the chicken and sausage stew.
