Slow-cooked chicken legs with polenta, gorgonzola and oregano
A great autumn tapa: free-range chicken legs cooked long and slow, so the skin is burnished and crisp, and the meat is soft and tender with a delicate smokiness. Delicious with some warming, creamy polenta infused with blue cheese.
Serves 4
You’ll also need a lump of oak wood
4 small free-range chicken legs
1 quantity Brine for white meat
500ml (generous 2 cups) full-cream (whole) milk
30g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter
90g (2/3 cup) instant polenta (cornmeal)
50g (¾ cup) finely grated parmesan
50g (½ cup) crumbled gorgonzola
2 tsp oregano leaves, to serve
sea salt and black pepper
Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour over the brine, then cover and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
Light and set the barbecue for direct/indirect cooking. Place the wood to the side of the charcoal.
Remove the chicken legs from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place them, skin-side down, on the grill in the direct heat zone and cook for 2 minutes, just to start caramelizing the skin. Transfer the chicken legs to the indirect heat zone, still skin-side down, and close the lid of the barbecue (the temperature inside the barbecue should be 180°C/350°F). Cook for 1–1¼ hours or until the skin is crisp and deep brown, the meat is very tender and the juices run clear.
About 20 minutes before the chicken should be ready, pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil on the stovetop. Add the butter and whisk until melted, then whisk in the polenta. Continue to whisk until the polenta is fully incorporated, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook slowly for 5–6 minutes, depending on the brand. The polenta should be quite thick, smooth and not grainy. Finally, whisk in the parmesan and gorgonzola and season to taste.
Divide the polenta evenly between warmed bowls, top with a chicken leg and serve sprinkled with oregano leaves.
Serve with Smoked cod with white beans, clams and parsley; Marinated and grilled bavette with smoky salad onions; Beetroot with blood orange, almonds and chard; Cuttlefish with squash, nduja and marjoram
