Confession: during the fall and winter nights I love comfort food. It seems that salads and smoothies no longer fit the bill. I need something a bit more substantive. Recently I had a small gathering and dinner party of choice. With a few guests with food allergies, we opted to make a meal where the courses were both gluten-free and dairy-free. This meal was hearty and delicious. Filling the bill for the perfect weeknight dinner of comfort food. For the polenta, instead of using parmesan, we used a blend of nutritional yeast, cashews, and garlic powder. Serving breaded chicken thighs with a golden gravy and sauce on the bed of polenta, topped with ground salt and pepper, and fresh herbs.
Keep reading for the full recipe after the jump!
Gluten-Free Chicken Osso Bucco
6 servings
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
- 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin on
- 1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 T tomato paste
- 1 C white wine
- 2 C chicken stock
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 sprigs thyme
- Fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon zest, for garnish
For the polenta:
- 1 C yellow cornmeal
- 5 C water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 T vegan parmesan cheese
- 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
- Chopped chives
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place the flour in a shallow plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil. Sear the chicken thighs until browned on both sides, browning in batches if necessary. Remove browned thighs to a plate.
Add the onion, carrot and celery, sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add tomato paste and allow to brown another minute or so. Add the meat back to the pan then add the wine, reduce by half. Tie the herbs together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove tied herbs and discard.
In a large saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Whisking, gradually add the cornmeal in a steady stream. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until thickened, whisking frequently about 10 minutes. To make vegan parmesan cheese, combine nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and cashews in a food processor. Remove from the heat and stir in olive oil, and nutritional yeast mixture. Add walnuts, chives, salt and pepper. Bring to heat.
To serve: Spoon a bit of polenta on the plate, top with 2 chicken thighs, a spoonful of the cooking liquid and vegetables. Top with fresh herbs, additional vegan parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.