Roasted Chicken with Fresh Corn “Polenta” and Eggplant Cucumber, Feta, and Ground Cherry Salsa Ingredients: Chicken thighs Corn Eggplant Tomatoes Cucumber Ground cherries Feta (For best results, read recipe fully before beginning.) 1) Prepare the ingredients: - Wash and dry the fresh produce. - Shuck the corn. Discard husk and silk. With a sharp knife, slice kernels off of cob. Discard cob. - Twist/trim off and discard the stem off the eggplant. Slice the eggplant into 1/2”-thick rounds. - Small dice the cucumber. - Remove and discard the stem and core of the tomatoes. Roughly chop, reserving juice with tomatoes. - Remove and discard the papery husk of the ground cherry. Slice in half (quarter larger ones). - Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on all sides. Place on a paper towel lined plate, skin side down. - Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2) Roast the chicken: - Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium oven-safe pan (cast iron if you have it) over medium-high until hot. Carefully place seasoned chicken pieces, skin side down, in hot pan. Cook for 3 minutes, then transfer pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Carefully flip pieces and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, skin side up, to rest for at least 10 minutes. Wipe out pan and use it to cook the eggplant (below). 3) Cook the corn: - While the chicken cooks, add the corn kernels to a wide pan and add just enough water to barely cover them. Cook until corn is tender, about 10 minutes. If you have a food processor: drain any excess water from corn and transfer corn to a food processor. Process until corn is thoroughly broken down and pasty. Return to pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until corn thickens to a thick porridge consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. (If you do not have a food processor, cook the corn kernels in the above manner, then drain the water from the pan and season the corn with salt and pepper.) 4) Fry the eggplant: - While the chicken rests, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pan you roasted the chicken in. Set it on medium-high heat until hot. Carefully add eggplant (oil should be hot enough to sizzle) and cook until well-browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, season with salt and pepper, and return pan to heat. Add chopped tomatoes, season with salt and
pepper, and cook until broken down and reduced somewhat, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggplant back to pan and stir to coat with the fresh tomato sauce. Remove from heat. 5) Make the salsa and finish the dish: - In a small bowl, combine diced cucumber, halved ground cherries, and season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Crumble feta into bowl and stir to combine. 6) Plate your dish: - Divide corn between 2 plates, top with eggplant sauce, then place rested chicken thigh on top. Spoon salsa on top and around plate. Enjoy!