First off, I have to explain the story behind the hydrangeas. Aren't they so beautiful and lush? Hydraingas are one of my absolute favorite types of flowers! My neighbor has a hydrangea bush that's at least 7 feet tall, running down the side of their house. Every year when it blooms, I want to run to their front yard, pick a bunch, and run back before anyone can catch a glimpse of me. But, unfortunately I haven't had the chance to act foolishly. Anyways, these dazzling puffy mounds in the pic above did not come from my neighbors house. They actually came from my grandmother. My stubborn Italian Gma, who insisted she bring the flowers over, because she had one too many in her yard. I couldn't possibly turn down the offer of her to come by; so all these flowers have been casually lying around my house (everywhere ) and I thought they would be the perfect back drop to this dish.
Though I would love to talk more about flowers, I must elaborate on the dish I present before them. I did some different things in order to bring this dish together. The chicken thighs were placed in a quick brine of water, salt, sugar, garlic, and orange. I seasoned and roasted them off in a 400 degree oven until golden brown and crispy. The key here was to place the chicken on a metal rack over a sheet tray so that it's not sitting in its own grease when cooking. Chicken thigh is great to work with because you are almost always guaranteed it will be moist at service time. It's on a bone which keeps in moisture!!! It's a wonderful thing! Compared to chicken breast which is great too, don't get me wrong; because it defiantly has its benefits, but it dries out more easily and doesn't always deliver the same tender, succulence that thigh meat provides.
As for the other components of my dish, I made polenta as the base, along with sautéed curly zucchini as the veg, and then created a finishing sauce, that I poured over the top. Any ways, Polenta is a fabulous carb. It's the best when it's loaded with cream, butter, and cheese; the recipe for a heart attack. But, that's ok it's all worth it in the end. I have to admit though, my polenta isn't quite that, instead all I added to it was butter and a pickled red pepper and corn relish. It took on interesting flavor profile which was sweet and acidic from the relish ingredients. As for the zucchini, I used a nifty tool my mother bought. Its a gadget that twirls food, turning it into a long spiral shape. I sauteed the zucchini in butter and herb de Provence. And finally the sauce, which I made by reducing down white wine, and combining it with pear simple syrup. It was a unique component to my chicken dish, and took on a fruitful flavor.