Cornmeal-Crusted Picnic Chicken with Blueberry Mostarda

Dredged in cornmeal and masa harina, this gluten-free "fried" chicken keeps its crunch longer, so it's perfect on summer outings. Pack it in the basket with a jar of tangy mostarda—Italian fruit "mustard," or in this case, blueberries simmered with wine, mustard seeds and black pepper.

Midwest Living editors

Published on May 24, 2023

Cornmeal-Crusted Picnic Chicken with Blueberry Mostarda — Photo: Brie Passano

Hands On Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

6 hrs

Servings:

Yield:

6 pieces of chicken and 2 1/3 cups mostarda

Ingredients

1 cup champagne or dry white wine
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped shallots
2 cups fresh blueberries
¾ cup champagne vinegar
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, divided
1 tablespoon dry mustard
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
¼ cup shredded fresh basil
2 ½ pounds chicken pieces (breast halves, wings, thighs and drumsticks)
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 cups buttermilk
½ medium red onion, sliced
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
½ cup masa harina

Directions

For mostarda: In a small bowl, combine champagne and yellow and brown mustard seeds. Let stand 1 to 2 hours.
In a heavy medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, just until translucent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in champagne mixture, blueberries, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice (reserve 1 teaspoon zest), dry mustard and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered and without stirring, until foam subsides and mixture is glossy and thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 1 to 2 hours. (Mostarda will continue to thicken as it cools.)
When mostarda is cool, stir in reserved lemon zest and the basil. Transfer to a serving dish or small jars. (Mostarda can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week.)
For chicken: Season chicken pieces on all sides with 3 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Place chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag set in a baking dish. Add buttermilk and onion to bag; seal bag. Turn bag to coat chicken. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight, turning bag once or twice.
Preheat oven to 400°. Remove chicken from bag; drain chicken in a colander set over a large bowl. Discard buttermilk and onion. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.
Combine cornmeal and masa harina in a shallow bowl. Using tongs, dredge chicken pieces, one at a time, in cornmeal mixture to thoroughly coat. Place chicken pieces on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between the pieces. Season chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.
Bake until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170° for breasts and at least 175° for thighs and drumsticks, 50 to 60 minutes. (Rotate baking sheet halfway through baking so the chicken pieces brown evenly.) Serve immediately with blueberry mostarda for dunking. If taking to a picnic, place chicken pieces in a brown paper bag and allow to cool en route.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 499 cal., 10 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 90 mg chol., 714 mg sodium, 63 g carb., 5 g fiber, 25 g sugar, 33 g pro.Daily Values: 5% vit. A, 21% vit. C, 8% calcium, 19% iron.