Chicken ciulama with parsley and polenta

Easter chicken ciulama, a Romanian chicken dish in white sauce, brings together poached breast and vegetables in a sauce thinned with broth until soft and pourable. Fresh parsley and warm polenta are just what it needs, while the strips of meat stay nestled in the sauce rather than hidden beneath it. I like to keep the breast whole until after it’s cooked, then cut it into wide strips. Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: 38 minutes. Total time: 53 minutes. Servings: 4. Approximately 500 kcal and 46 g protein per serving.
Ingredients
- 700 g chicken breast
- 1500 ml water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium potato (150 g)
- 1 medium white onion (150 g)
- 1 bell pepper (150 g)
- 1 carrot (100 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon Delikat
- 30 ml oil
- 30 g flour
- 15 g fresh parsley
- 800 g warm polenta
Preparation
1. Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels. Put it in a pot with 1500 ml water and 1 teaspoon salt, bring the water to a boil and skim off the foam. 2. Add the potato, onion, bell pepper and carrot, roughly chopped, then the Delikat. Boil everything for 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 3. Strain the broth into a bowl and set it aside. Take out the breast and cut it into strips. 4. Heat 30 ml oil in a saucepan and brown the flour for 2 minutes, until golden. 5. Gradually pour up to 1300 ml broth over the flour, stirring constantly. Cook for 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens; keep the remaining broth. 6. Add the chicken strips to the sauce and let the ciulama boil for 3 minutes, until bubbling. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve with the warm polenta.
Notes
Thicker breasts may need a few extra minutes to cook; choose one that’s as even in thickness as possible. If the broth is too salty, thin the sauce with a little hot water. The sauce thickens as it sits, so keep the remaining broth to adjust it. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s much like a homemade white sauce, and warm polenta is just the thing for scooping it up from the plate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use boneless thighs instead of breast?
Yes, 700 g boneless thighs take around 30 minutes to cook, until the meat is no longer pink in the center.
What should I do if the sauce is lumpy?
Whisk it well while it’s hot; if any lumps remain, pass it through a fine sieve and stir in 2 tablespoons hot broth.
Can I add the cooked vegetables to the sauce?
Yes. Cut the cooked carrot and potato into cubes about 1 cm across and stir them into the sauce once it has thickened.
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