Roasted Chicken with Asiago Polenta & Truffled Mushrooms

Doesn't this sound fabulous? Again, I haven't tried it--yet.

Ingredients
Chicken:
1 (5-pound) roasting chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 orange, halved
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 thyme sprigs
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
Cooking spray
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Mushrooms:
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (about 8 cups)
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons truffle oil

Polenta:
2 cups fat-free milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup instant dry polenta
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°.

To prepare chicken, remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Combine thyme, orange juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and garlic; rub over breast and drumsticks under loosened skin. Place orange halves in body cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken.

Combine 6 garlic cloves, 2 thyme sprigs, and 1 cup of broth in a shallow roasting pan. Place chicken on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Insert meat thermometer into the meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone.

Bake at 325° for 2 hours or until thermometer registers 180°. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin. Place chicken on a platter, reserving drippings in pan; cover chicken and keep warm. Add wine to drippings in pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; discard thyme sprigs.

Place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add remaining broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Set aside. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour pan drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into flour mixture in saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Bring mixture to a boil, and cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Keep warm.

To prepare mushrooms, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until the mushrooms release moisture and darken, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in truffle oil.

To prepare polenta, combine milk, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk; reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Serve with chicken, gravy, and mushrooms.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 6 ounces chicken, 2 1/2 tablespoons gravy, 1/2 cup polenta, and 1/2 cup mushrooms)

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004