Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Pan-Fried Polenta

While writing this post, I wasn't sure whether you're ready for Easter recipes yet or whether I should wait a bit longer. But then I thought, I really only have one new Easter recipe this year, for babka ajerkoniakowa (an egg liqueur babka cake). So I'll hold off on that one for a while. This year I'm spending Easter with my family in Poland, so maybe there will be something new on the table? 😉

Still, we have some time until the holidays, so there's no need to rush, and we can cook ourselves some delicious, non-festive dishes in the meantime.

Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Pan-Fried Polenta

I found the rosemary chicken breasts with pan-fried polenta at MissXoxolat's, and I read that it's a Jamie Oliver recipe from his "15 Minute Meals" show. That recipe had already been changed a bit, and I changed a few things myself, but it all goes together wonderfully, even though it ended up being a completely new recipe. Okay, I didn't manage to make the whole dinner in 15 minutes, but it definitely took no longer than 30. If you make the polenta ahead of time and only pan-fry it before serving, you'll cut the time down quite a bit. The dinner turned out tasty, aromatic, out of the ordinary and, above all, quick. Perfect after a long hike.

Directions – Rosemary Chicken Breasts with Pan-Fried Polenta:

In a pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil together with the butter and salt. Add the polenta and stir thoroughly so there are no lumps. Add the herbs, cover, and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. When the polenta thickens, spread it out on a baking sheet or a flat plate.

For the sauce, peel and finely chop the onion, finely chop the chili (remove the seeds if using fresh), and sauté everything in olive oil until translucent. Add the canned tomatoes, the pressed garlic and the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and simmer slowly until the tomatoes fall apart and the sauce gets nice and aromatic.

Cut the cooled, firm polenta into strips, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and pan-fry on a grill pan.

Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry, then pound them a little with the flat side of a meat mallet. Not too much. Heat the frying fat in a skillet (don't skimp, so the meat doesn't get too dry) and fry the bacon until crispy. Take it out. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the dill seeds and herbs to the hot fat left from the bacon, and right after that lay the meat on top of them. Fry over medium-low heat until the meat is browned on both sides. But not for too long, so it doesn't dry out.

Spoon the sauce onto plates, add the meat, polenta and bacon, and serve.

Enjoy!