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Photo of Mexican-Style Chicken with Ancho Pepper and Roasted Garlic Sauce on Crispy Polenta by WW

Mexican-Style Chicken with Ancho Pepper and Roasted Garlic Sauce on Crispy Polenta

2
Point(s)
Total Time
50 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
This traditional Mexican-inspired dish is deliciously different. We love the use of polenta in place of tortillas.

Ingredients

Cooked skinless boneless chicken breast(s)

1 pound(s)

Cilantro

⅛ oz, fresh, plus more for garnish (about 2 sprigs)

Garlic clove(s)

4 clove(s), large, not peeled

Dried ancho pepper(s)

2 pepper(s), stems removed and seeds shaken out

Canned tomato sauce

½ cup(s)

Cumin seeds

½ tsp(s)

Uncooked unenriched white cornmeal

½ cup(s), to make polenta

Table salt

½ tsp(s)

Fresh radish(es)

6 medium, red, sliced

Uncooked scallion(s)

2 medium, sliced

Instructions

  1. Place chicken in a single layer in a large nonstick skillet and cover with water. Add cilantro sprigs and 1 clove of garlic. Cook chicken breasts over medium heat until no longer pink in centre, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and let cool; reserve liquid.
  2. Shred cooled chicken and set aside. Pour reserved cooking liquid into a bowl and add ancho peppers. Cover and soak peppers about 10 minutes.
  3. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic cloves and roast in pan, turning frequently, until blackened in spots. Remove to a small bowl and when cool enough to handle, peel garlic.
  4. Place peppers, garlic, tomato sauce and cumin in jar of a blender and blend on high until smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour mixture into a saucepan, add chicken and heat through.
  5. To make polenta, bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil; add salt. Slowly add cornmeal, stirring until smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  6. Coat a 9 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray and pour polenta into pan. Smooth with a spatula. Allow polenta to firm up, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into 4 slices and remove from pan. Place polenta slices in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook on both sides until crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes per side.
  7. To serve, place one slice of polenta on a plate and top with 3/4 cup of chicken mixture. Garnish with cilantro, radishes and scallions.

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