Roasted Lemon & Olive Chicken With Blue Cheese Polenta

• a 5 to 6 pound roasting chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ Tbs. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup Pinot Grigio or similarly crisp white wine
• ¼ cup Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 cloves of garlic, sliced into halves
• a 2-3" sprig of fresh thyme 
• ½ cup pitted olives, such as Kalamata, Picholine, and or Gordal
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 ℉.

 

Wash the chicken and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken in single layer in a large roasting pan with the larger pieces on the outside and smaller pieces in the middle. In a blender or food processor,  add wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper, one garlic clove, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Pour the liquid over the chicken in the pan, making sure to drizzle over each piece. Arrange the sliced garlic, lemon slices, and olives onto the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and additional pepper if desired. Roast for 30-35 minutes until chicken is golden brown or until a digital thermometer inserted in to the middle of the thickest piece of chicken registers 165℉.

Separate the fat from the pan juice, reserving the garlic and olives for plating. Reduce by half in a small pan over medium heat. Plate the chicken over the polenta drizzled with the pan reduction, reserved garlic and olives.    

 

While the chicken is roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat, in a 3-4 quart sauté pan. Sauté leeks for 6-8 minutes, until tender. Increase heat, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil and blue cheese, then stir until melted. Adjust seasoning and serve with pan juices from the roasted chicken.