Braised Chicken Cacciatore with Cheesy Polenta

Start by preheating your oven to 160°C.

Split the chicken legs into thighs and drumsticks by slicing through the joint that connects the two. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat a large braising pot or frying pan over a medium heat. Add plenty of olive oil and star browning off the chicken in batches. Start skin side down and cook over medium heat (nothing crazy) for 6-7 mins until the fat has renderred and the skin has crisped. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, roughly chop the celery, fennel and shallots and finely chop the garlic. Once all the chicken is browned off, remove from the pan, leaving behind all that chicken fat and olive oil. Chuck in the celery, shallots and fennel with a pinch of salt and cook for 9-10 mins. Add the garlic, herbs and spices for 2 mins before cranking up the heat and dumping in the white wine. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half.

Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half.

Tip in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and nestle in the chicken pieces. You want a little of the chicken skin sticking out the liquid, like alligators in the swamp. Scatter over the olives and then slide into the oven, uncovered, for an hour.

Whilst the chicken is braising, make the polenta. Add the water to a pot along with the milk and bring to a bare simmer. Whisk in the polenta and cook, stirring regularly, for 30-40 mins. Once cooked, season with salt and whisk in the butter and grated cheese. I like to add some grated nutmeg, too.

Once the chicken has had an hour or so, crank up the heat for the last few minutes to really get some colour on the skin. Divide the polenta between warm bowls and spoon over some of the tomato sauce and a couple of pieces of chicken. Top with extra Parm and chopped parsley.