Ingredients
- Serves 4:
- For the Chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 oz. each)
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 dried ancho chiles, chopped
- 1 Tbsp each red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- For the Polenta:
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup scallons, sliced, plus additional for garnish
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Variation from Fine Cooking by Rick Bayless:
- Serves 6
- 1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
- 2 medium ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into 5 or 6 flat pieces
- 2 medium cloves garlic
- 1/2 small white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3-1/2 cups lower-salt chicken broth
- 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 2 oz. firm white bread, roughly torn into pieces
- 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 cup salted or unsalted peanuts; more chopped for garnish
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican
- 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
- 1-1/2 oz. Mexican chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar; more as needed
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz. each)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Coat and 8" square baking pan with nonstick spray. Bring water, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and simmer until polenta is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes, whisking contantly.
Off heat, whisk in 1/4 cup scallions, parmesan, cream and butter until butter melts. Spread polenta into prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill to medium high.
Stir marmalade and 1 Tbsp vinegar together in bowl for the chicken. Add chicken and toss to coat. Remove the stem and seeds from the chilies, then crush and coarsely chop, combine with other seasonings in a bowl, then rub mixture onto chicken.
Turn chilled polenta out of pan, cut into quarters, then into 8 triangles. Liberally coat triangles with nonstick cooking spray, then grill until they release easily from the grate, 8-10 minutes per side.
Grill chicken about 4-5 minutes per side or until an instant read thermometer reads 155.
Variation:
In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium heat. Add the ancho chiles, garlic, and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion and garlic have browned and the chiles are toasted and aromatic, 5 to 6 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a blender and set the pot aside.
To the blender, add 1-1/2 cups of the broth, the tomatoes and their juice, the bread, chipotle chiles, peanuts, cinnamon, and allspice; purée until very smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Rub a drop of the purée between your fingers; if it doesn't feel smooth, transfer to a medium-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and press the mixture through with a spatula.
Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in the pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until reduced by two-thirds and darkened to a thick, rusty orange paste (about the consistency of tomato paste), 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the remaining 2 cups broth and the chocolate. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens to a heavy cream consistency, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp. salt and the sugar, adding more of both to taste.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Put the chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the sauce, covering the chicken. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken is just cooked through (165°F), 35 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to plates or a platter, scraping the sauce on the chicken back into the baking dish as you do. Whisk the sauce until well combined and spoon it back over the chicken. Top with the chopped peanuts and parsley, if using, and serve.
Make Ahead Tips
The sauce may be made 1 or 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate; reheat gently before using.
nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 590; Fat (g): fat g 30; Fat Calories (kcal): 260; Saturated Fat (g): sat fat g 5; Protein (g): protein g 57; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 11; Carbohydrates (g): carbs g 26; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 11; Sodium (mg): sodium mg 1040; Cholesterol (mg): cholesterol mg 125; Fiber (g): fiber g 6;