Coda Family Traditional Chicken and Polenta

This great Italian dish was passed on down from my grandfather to my father, and now to me.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole fryer, approx 2-2½ lbs.
  • 1 container, Quaker corn meal, medium grind
  • 4-5 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 oz. Approx. Butter (or Margarine)
  • 4 oz. Olive oil
  • Marjorum
  • Rosemary
  • ½-¾ cup, red wine

Tip: Try rabbit instead of chicken. Now that's Italian!

Directions:

Cut fryer into: 2 drum sticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts, halve the back, neck. (You can also use pre-cut chicken pieces.)

Cut giblets (liver, heart) into tiny pieces - keep separate.

In a supermarket sized plastic bag (double bag) place a hefty cup of flour, add approx. ¾ tsp. Salt and pepper. Shake vigorously to mix thoroughly. Place half the cut pieces into bag, shake, and coat thoroughly.

In large skillet or 5 quart saucepan, place margarine and olive oil, heat, but do not burn. Brown cut pieces thoroughly, you may have to turn several times. Remove and drain in large bowl with paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Place cut giblets, marjorum (about ½ tsp.) Rosemary (about ¾ tsp.) Add crushed garlic in hot skillet and brown thoroughly, stirring constantly. Lower heat.

Add 4-5 cans tomato sauce and equal amount tap water. Add wine, stir well. Place browned chicken back into gravy, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.

Remove chicken from gravy and place in bowl. In small jar, place 3 tablespoons of leftover flour/salt/pepper mix with about 4 times as much water. Shake vigorously, then thicken still cooking gravy by adding small amounts of flour/water mix and stirring continuously. Lower heat and replace chicken, cover.

In 5-quart saucepan, fill halfway with water, add 1 tsp salt, bring to boil, lower heat.

Gently sprinkle corn meal, a little bit at a time, stirring low speed with a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer. Continue this procedure, little bit corn meal, stirring continuously. Keep this up until mix is very thick and becomes difficult stir. Remove from heat. On large cutting board, dump polenta in one smack until most is removed from pot and formed into loaf. Slice generously, cover with gravy and enjoy.

My Note: My father uses the term "gravy". I prefer "sauce".

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