Chicken Cacciatore with polenta and mushrooms in tomato sauce

Ingredients:

• 900 g (8-10 pcs.) skinless and boneless chicken thighs (trim fat and skin)
• 225g thinly sliced ​​cremini mushrooms or 3 portabella mushroom caps
• 1 tbsp. polenta fast food
• 3 cups Parmesan-herb broth (see recipe below)
• 6 roasted tomatoes (see recipe below)
• 2 large red bell peppers
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 medium-sized sweet onions, thinly sliced ​​into half rings
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced ​​or sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/2 cup dry wine (white or red)
• 1.5 tsp smoked sweet paprika
• A couple of pinches of saffron (20 - 24 stigmas)
• A handful of grated Manchego cheese
• A handful of chopped fresh parsley

Concentrated broth with parmesan and herbs:

• 1 large Parmesan rind, trimmed from a block of cheese, or a few small pieces of rind, perhaps set aside earlier
• A tied herb bundle of several sprigs of fresh thyme, parsley, and rosemary
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 2 celery stalks, sliced ​​at an angle
• 2 carrots, sliced ​​at an angle
• Peeled rind of 1 lemon
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 12 tbsp (3 l) water

Baked tomatoes:

• 24 ripe tomatoes or large plum tomatoes
• Several crushed cloves of garlic
• Olive oil to generously drizzle over the tomatoes

Preparation:

1. Prepare the broth and tomatoes.
   
   For the broth: Place the cheese rind, herb bunch, onion, celery, carrot, lemon zest, and bay leaves in a saucepan. Add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Cook for at least an hour. Remove the cheese rind, herb bunch, and vegetables with a slotted spoon or strain the broth.
   
   For tomatoes: Preheat oven to 260°C. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet or baking sheets in a single layer. Sprinkle garlic between the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
   
   Roast the tomatoes until they burst and the skins begin to char, about 30 minutes. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them. Place the tomatoes in a bowl.
2. Char the peppers over a blowtorch or under a grill until completely blackened. Place the charred peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to avoid burning your hands, peel and seed the peppers and slice thinly.
3. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat to coat the bottom. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate.
   
   Add the remaining olive oil and mushrooms and sauté. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Then deglaze the pan with sherry or wine.
4. Add the prepared tomatoes, pepper, and paprika. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, let the chicken cool, then cover the pan with a lid and reserve the chicken for future dishes.
   
   Culinary advice: Before serving, reheat over medium heat under a lid, then simmer uncovered.
   
   Once the chicken is heated through, bring the saffron and prepared broth to a boil. Add the polenta and cook until it fills the pan. Season with salt and stir in the grated cheese.
   
   Serve polenta in shallow bowls with cacciatore alla Spanisha and sprinkle with parsley.